Hi 

fe* 

I  'If 

i 

1      i        • 

\r 

li  ' : 

r'. 

! 

I     i     ! 


:•          ■          ''!                      ^ 

I:-. -''^ ; 

•i '  , ' '  • 

^^1 

^i^afi^^rv^^Si^^^^^H 

n 

k.n^S5b  1  F/^K 

<i^^K 

»    / 

miiiti 


/^'t  frr^   ^~<f-   '^^'    At"^£ZXC        /^a. 


9f^o^ 


y^  'y-c^^ 


M  E  M  0  in  S 


OP  THE 


KEY.  WALTEK  M.  LOWRIE, 


MISSIONAHY   TO    CHINA 


EDITED  BY  HIS  FATHER. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF   PUBLICATION, 

No.  265  Chestnut  Street. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1854,  by 

A.  W.  MITCHELL,  M.  D., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court,  for  the  Eastern  District  of 
Pennsylvania. 

Jesper  Harping,  Stereotyper, 
Philadelphia. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  L 

FEBRUARY,  1819— JANUARY,  1842. 

EAELY  LIFE — COURSE  AT  COLLEGE — COURSE  IN  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMI- 
NARY— ACCEPTED  AS  A  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY — SAILS  FOR  CHINA. 

LETTERS. 

PA6S. 

To  his  Father,  Duty  as  to  Foreign  Missions — The  Question  De- 
cided— through  College,  Grade.  To  John  Lloyd,  College  times — 
Swartz.  Comfort  in  Christ — To  his  Mother,  daily  employments 
— To  John  Lloyd,  personal  religion.  Love  of  Christ.  Missions. 
Western  Africa.  India.  China — To  John  M.  Lowrie — Study  of 
the  Bible.  To  John  Lloyd,  studies.  Works  of  God.  To  his 
Mother,  Journey  West — Executive  Committee.  Missions — To  his 
Mother,  the  country.  Journey.  To  his  Father,  change  of  field 
to  China — To  his  Mother,  flowers.  Niagara.  Missions.  Journey 
West.  To  Wm.  H.  Hornblower,  presence  of  Christ.  To  John  0. 
Procter,  on  leaving  for  China — To  John  Lloyd,  feelings,  faith — 
To  John  M.  Lowrie,  on  the  eve  of  sailing.  9 


CHAPTER  11. 

JANUARY  19— MAY  27,  1842. 

VOYAGE  TO  CHINA — JOURNAL  IN  THE  HUNTRESS. 

Parting  from  friends — Sea  sickness — a  Gale — Pleasant  days — 
Sermon  on  hoard — Wisdom  of  God — Stars — Trade  winds — the 
Sabbath — a  Shark — Birth-day — Sunsets — the  Sailmaker — Stars 
— Magellan  clouds — INIissions — the  Ocean — Home — a  Gale — Alba- 
tross— a  Ship — Trade  winds — Sabbath — Preaching  to  Sailors — 


CONTENTS. 

PAGS. 

Rain — Sea  Gnats — Thunder — Heathen — Ships — Angier — Learned 
Sailor — China  Sea — Gales — China — To  his  Mother,  with  his 
jom-nal.  62 


CHAPTER  III. 

1842. 

LANDING  IN  CHINA — VOYAGE  IN  THE  SEA  QUEEN — SHIPWRECK  IN  THE 
HARMONY — RETURN  TO  MACAO. 

To  his  Mother,  Macao.  Hong  Kong — To  John  Lloyd,  Mission  to 
China — To  his  Mother,  China  Sea — Journal — Embarks — Lascars 
— Alone — Calms — Monsoon — Currents — Gale — Delays — Cui'rents 
— Storms — Faith — Providence — the  Parting — Scenes  in  Manilla 
— To  his  Brother,  Voyage  on  the  China  Sea — Shipwreck  in  the 
Harmony — To  his  Father,  first  Letter  from  Home — To  his  Mother, 
Letters  from  Home — To  James  Lenox,  Romanists  in  China — 
To  his  Father,  early  Instruction — To  John  Lloyd,  Missions  in 
China.  98 

CHAPTER  IV. 

1843. 

RESIDENCE  IN  MACAO — VOYAGE  UP   THE  COAST — AMOY  AND  CHANG-CHOW — 
RETURN  TO  MACAO. 

LETTERS   AND   JOURNALS. 

To  his  Mother,  Home.  Heaven.  Sabbath — To  John  Lloyd,  Chinese 
Language — To  his  Father,  effects  of  Heat — Preaching — Chinese 
Dictionary — Journal  to  Amoy  and  Chusan.  Opium — Lafanticide 
— Grave  of  Mrs.  Boone — Monsoon — Kulangsu — Budhist  Temple 
— River  —  Chang-Chow— Mandarins  —  the  City — Bridges  —  Tem- 
ples— Villages — Multitudes — Chobey — Haetang — Return  to  Amoy 
— Remarks — Return  to  Macao — Storm — Danger — Good  News 
from  Home — Death  of  Rev.  Mr.  Dyer — To  Society  of  Inquiry, 
Western  Theological  Seminary — To  his  Mother,  Chmese  Customs 
— Society  of  Inquiry,  Princeton  Theological  Seminary.  To  his 
Father,  Sir  Henry  Pottinger's  censure.  164 


CONTENTS.  O 

CHAPTER  V. 

1844. 

BESIDENCE  IN  MACAO — CHINESE  PRINTING  WITH  METAL  TVPE — ARRIVAL 
or  NEW  MISSIONARIES — THEIR  FIELDS  OF  LABOUR. 

LETTERS. 

PAOS. 

To  his  Mother,  his  Teacher.  Idolatry — To  his  Father,  Chinese 
Language — To  John  Lloyd,  Christian  friendship — To  his  Father, 
to  visit  China — a  Solemn  Question  by  his  Teacher — Recollections 
of  a  Missionary— To  Rev.  John  M.  Lowrie,  English  Preaching — 
To  Rev.  James  Montgomery,  trials.  221 

CHAPTER  YI. 

1845. 

DIFFERENT  MISSIONS  ESTABLISHED — LEA^^;S  MACAO VOYAGE  UP  THE 

COAST — NINGPO. 

LETTERS   AND   JOURNALS. 

To  his  Father,  leaves  Macao — Voyage  up  the  Coast — Changes — 
Sailors — Shanghai — Chusan — Books  injured — Ningpo — Idol  wor- 
ship— Festival — Proverbs — Monks — To  Mrs.  Hepburn,  Love  of 
Christ — To  his  Father,  Ningpo — To  his  Mother,  Psalm  xxv — To 
his  Father,  various  Thoughts — Visit  to  Teentung — Visit  to 
Pootoo — Females — To  Society  of  Inquiry,  Princeton  Theological 
Seminary — To  his  Father,  Chinese  ignorance.  240 


CHAPTER  VII. 

1846. 

MISSIONARY  LABOURS  AT  NINGPO — HEATHEN  CUSTOMS — SUPERSTITIOUS 
FEARS — PREACHING  IN  CHINESE. 

LETTERS   AND    JOURNALS. 

To  his  Mother,  deaths,  New  Year— To  John  Lloyd,  Chinese  tones— 
To  his  Father,  heat,  teachers — To  his  Brother,  superstitions — 
To  his  Father,  Shangte,  Shin — To  his  Mother,  reminiscences— 


6  CONTENTS. 

PAOB. 

To  his  Father,  Chinese  Dictionary — To  James  Lenox,  music,  cuts, 
return  of  Missionaries.  To  John  Lloyd,  religion — Journal,  fear 
of  Evil  Spirits — Earthquake — Cruelty — Chinese  audience.  802 

CHAPTER  VIIL 

I 

1847. 

MISSIONARY  LABOURS  AT  NINGrO — VOYAGE  TO  SHANGHAI — MANCHU  LAN- 
GUAGE—CHINESE TRANSLATION  OF  THE  BIBLE — IMPORTANCE  OF  SELECT- 
ING PROPER  TERMS DEATH  AND  CHARACTER. 

LETTERS   AND   JOURNALS. 

To  his  Brother,  Chinese  Language — To  his  Mother,  labours,  loneli- 
ness— Minutes  of  the  General  Assembly,  1846 — To  his  Father, 
Translation  of  the  Bible — Journal,  preaching — Labours — Chinese 
Language — Worship  of  Ancestors — To  his  Father,  Bible  transla- 
tion, dictionary — To  his  Brother,  translation  of  the  word  God — 
To  his  Father,  Manchu  language — To  Joseph  Owen,  translations 
— Letters  from  A.  W.  Loomis — Bishop  Boone — John  Lloyd — 
Joseph  Owen — John  M.  Lowrie — Remarks  by  Dr.  Alexander.         349 


PREFACE 


This  edition  of  the  Memoir  of  the  Rev.  Walter 
M.  Lowrie  is  made  up  of  a  selection  from  the  letters 
and  journals  printed  in  the  larger  editions  of  the 
same  work.  The  plan  adopted  was  to  let  him  speak 
for  himself  in  his  letters  and  journals,  and  the  edi- 
tor has  done  little  more  than  to  select  and  arrange 
the  papers  of  his  beloved  son.  A  few  remarks 
have  been  made  with  the  view  of  noticing  his  early 
years,  and  connecting  the  different  periods  of  his 
short  but  active  and  not  unvaried  life. 

His  letters,  for  the  most  part,  were  hastily  written, 
many  of  them  in  the  confidence  of  Christian  and 
endeared  friendship.  His  journals  also  were  writ- 
ten at  the  dates  mentioned,  and  his  other  engage- 
ments gave  him  no  time  to  correct  and  copy  them. 

(7) 


MEMOIR. 

CHAPTEU  I. 

February  1819.— January  1842. 

Early  Life — Course  at  College — Course  in  the  Theological  Seminary — 
Accepted  as  a  Foreign  Missionary — Sails  for  China — Letters,  &c. 

Walter  Macon  Lowrie,  the  third  son  of  Walter 
and  Ameha  Lowrie,  was  born  in  Butler,  Penn.,  on 
the  18th  of  February,  1819.  Until  his  eighth  year, 
his  father  was  absent  from  home  during  the  winter 
months.  This  left  the  principal  part  of  his  early 
training  and  education  to  his  excellent  mother,  and 
w^eU  and  faithfully  did  she  perform  this  responsible 
and  sacred  trust.  From  his  infancy  he  possessed  a 
mild  and  cheerful  temper.  He  was  a  general  fav- 
ourite with  his  playmates,  and  always  ready  to 
engage  in  the  usual  sports  of  the  play-ground.  It 
was  often  the  subject  of  remark,  that  he  was  never 
known  to  get  into  a  quarrel,  or  even  an  anory  dis- 
pute with  his  associates.  To  his  parents  he  was 
always  obedient  and  kind,  open  and  ingenuous;  he 
was  never  known  to  use  deception  or  falsehood. 
His  brothers  and  sisters  shared  his  warmest  aiiection 
and  love,  and  his  time  with  them  seemed  to  be  made 
up  of  pure  enjoyment. 

At  an  early  period  he  w^as  sent  to  school,  where 
he  learned  the  usual  branches  of  a  common  English 
education.  It  was  soon  perceived  by  his  teachers, 
that  it  required  but  little  effort  on  his  part  to  get 

(9) 


10  ]\IEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

the  lessons  assigned  to  him;  and  the  place  he 
iisuall}^  occupied  was  at  the  head  of  the  class.  In 
his  tenth  yeai'  his  parents  removed  to  Washington 
cit3%  and  for  a  part  of  the  year  he  was  taught  by 
his  father  in  the  higher  rules  of  arithmetic,  in  geo- 
graphy, and  ancient  and  modern  history.  In  liis 
eleventh  and  twelfth  3^ears,  he  spent  two  terms 
under  an  able  teacher  in  a  classical  grammar  school. 

At  this  period  the  health  of  his  beloved  mother 
was  gradually  declining,  and  her  physicians  advised 
that  she  should  spend  the  summers  in  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  the  winters  in  Washington.  In  these 
circumstances  it  was  deemed  best  that  Walter, 
although  not  fourteen  years  of  age,  should  be  sent 
to  Jefferson  College.  Two  of  his  brothers  had 
already  graduated  at  that  college,  and  his  father 
was  well  acquainted  wdth  the  president  and  the 
professors.  A  home  was  found  for  him  in  the 
family  of  the  Rev.  Professor  Kennedy,  who  watched 
over  him  with  a  parent's  care.  The  same  month  iu 
which  he  reached  the  college,  in  November,  1832, 
he  received  the  sad  intelligence  of  his  dear  mother's 
death.  Most  deeply  did  he  feel  this  severe  bereave- 
ment, and  bitterly  did  he  mourn  over  the  loss  of 
one  so  very  dear  to  him.  The  account  of  her  calm 
and  peaceful  departure,  full  of  faith  and  trust  in 
her  Saviour,  wdiich  he  soon  afterwards  received, 
wdiilst  it  made  a  deep  impression  on  his  mind,  tended 
much  to  relieve  the  bitterness  of  his  grief  After 
spending  a  year  in  the  preparatory  department,  he 
entered  the  freshmen  class  in  October,  1833,  and 
continued  in  the  college,  with  some  mterruptions 
for  relaxation,  till  he  graduated  in  September,  1837. 

In  the  summer  of  1834,  he  was  at  home  from 
the  first  of  August  till  the  last  of  October.  His 
father  was  somewhat  apprehensive  in  regard  to  his 
health,  and  believed  that  some  relaxation  from  his 
studies  w;ould  be  of  service,  even  if  it  should 
require  him  to  spend  another  year  in  the  college. 
lie  retained  his  place  in  the  class,  however,  and 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  11 

kept  up  with  the  usual  studies  without  difficulty. 
The  funnily  were  then  spending  the  summer  in 
Butler.  Here  he  first  met  with  his  second  mother, 
and  he  seemed  almost  at  once  to  transfer  to  her  the 
affection  he  had  entertained  for  his  own  mother. 
Nor  was  this  a  transient  feeling.  His  affection  and 
deep  respect  and  esteem  for  her  continued  till  his 
lamented  death,  as  the  letters  and  journals  addressed 
to  her  will  abundantly  show. 

During  this  visit  he  accompanied  his  parents  and 
one  of  his  brothers,  and  a  sister  in  declining  health, 
to  the  falls  of  Niagara.  He  greatly  enjoyed  the 
company  of  his  friends  on  this  journey,  and  was 
filled  with  wonder  and  awe  at  the  stupendous  dis- 
plays of  God's  power  in  this  mighty  cataract.  He 
accompanied  the  family  to  Washington,  and  was 
present  at  the  calm  and  peaceful  death  of  his  be- 
loved sister,  in  the  last  of  September,  1834.  In 
November  he  returned  to  the  college,  his  health 
much  improved  by  his  temporary  absence. 

Soon  after  his  return,  that  seminary  and  the 
neighboui'hood  were  blessed  with  a  precious  and 
powerful  revival  of  religion.  Many  of  the  students 
in  the  college,  and  large  numbers  in  the  congrega- 
tions of  that  region,  were  added  to  the  church. 
Most  of  these  students  afterwards  entered  the 
ministry.  The  history  of  this  revival  and  its  sub- 
sequent results,  if  they  were  written,  would  show 
how  important  a  period  of  life  is  the  college  course 
of  every  student.  Probably  the  attention  and  the 
prayers  of  the  church  have  been  too  httle  turned 
towards  her  young  men  in  the  different  colleges. 
The  remark  will  be  generally  found  true,  that  "as 
is  the  piety  of  the  student  in  college,  so  will  it  be 
in  the  theological  seminary,  and  in  tlie  ministry." 

In  this  revival,  after  a  time  of  deej)  conviction 
of  sin,  he  obtained  a  hope  of  peace  with  God  in 
the  Saviour.  He  was  then  in  his  sixteenth  year, 
and  he  gradually  became  more  and  more  instructed 
in  Chiistian  experience  and  warfare.     With  a  num- 


12  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

ber  of  the  students  who  were  admitted  to  full  com- 
munion in  the  church  at  the  same  time,  he  formed 
a  most  endeared  and  lasting  friendship,  and  with 
many  of  these  he  kept  up  a  correspondence  till  his 
death. 

On  leaving  college,  the  subject  of  this  memoir 
returned  home,  his  father's  family  then  residing  in 
the  city  of  New  York.  His  expectation  was  to 
enter  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Princeton  soon 
after  his  return.  The  Seminary  year,  however, 
commenced  in  September,  when  the  regular  classes 
were  formed ;  and  his  father,  still  somewhat  solici- 
tous respecting  his  health,  deemed  it  best  that  he 
should  have  a  recess  from  study ;  and  he  spent  the 
winter  at  home.  Having  few  acquaintances  in  the 
city,  his  winter's  residence  at  home  was  a  season  of 
retirement  and  quiet,  and  his  time  was  profitably 
employed  in  reviewing  his  previous  studies,  and  in 
miscellaneous  reading.  He  had  also  a  good  oppor- 
tunity of  improvement  in  vocal  music,  under  the 
able  instructions  of  Mr.  Thomas  Hastings.  During 
the  winter  he  took  charge  of  a  class  of  young  men 
in  the  Sabbath-school,  who  became  greatly  attached 
to  him,  and  were  much  benefitted  by  the  care  he 
bestowed  on  their  instruction. 

In  May,  1838,  he  entered  the  Seminary,  and 
afterwards  joined  the  regular  class  formed  in  Sep- 
tember following.  In  his  whole  course  in  the  Semi- 
nary he  pursued,  his  studies  very  closely.  He  was 
never  absent  from  a  single  recitation ;  and  with  his 
studies,  and  other  necessary  duties,  his  time  was 
fulty  employed.  By  persevering  industry,  he  w^as 
able  to  superintend  a  Sabbath-school  at  Queens  ton, 
a  few  miles  from  the  Seminary,  and  also  to  make  a 
Catalogue  of  the  books  in  the  Library,  and  arrange 
them  anew. 

Before  leaving  college,  as  is  seen  by  his  letters, 
he  had  fully  decided  to  go  as  a  missionary  to  the 
heathen,  and  during  his  last  year  in  the  Seminary, 
his  mind  was  settled    on   Western  Africa  as   his 


MEMOIR   OF   W.iLTER   M.    LOWREE.  13 

chosen  field  of  labour.  In  December,  1840,  he  was 
received  as  a  missionary  of  the  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  No  objec- 
tions to  his  preference  for  Africa  were  made  by  his 
friends,  and  for  several  months  the  question  of  his 
field  of  labour  was  considered  as  fully  settled.  In 
the  spring  and  summer  of  1841,  however,  the  exi- 
gencies of  the  China  mission  induced  the  Executive 
Committee  to  review  the  question  of  his  field  of 
labour.  The  mission  to  China  was  then  but  com- 
mencmg,  and  was  encompassed  with  many  difficul- 
ties. That  great  empke  was  at  that  time  closed 
against  the  Christian  missionary;  and  Singapore 
had  been  selected  as  the  most  suitable  place  where 
the  language  of  China  could  be  learned,  translations 
made  into  it,  schools  established,  and  other  mission- 
ary work  carried  on.  The  Rev.  John  A.  Mitchell, 
and  the  Rev.  Robert  W.  Orr  and  his  wife,  had 
arrived  at  Singapore  in  April,  1838.  In  the  follow- 
ing October,  Mr.  Mitchell  was  removed  by  death. 
The  next  year  Mr.  Orr's  health  failed;  a  visit  to 
the  Nilgerry  Hills,  in  India,  did  not  restore  it;  and 
in  1840,  he  set  out  on  his  return  home.  The  same 
year,  the  Rev.  Thomas  L.  McBryde  and  his  wife 
reached  Singapore;  and  in  1841,  he  was  joined  by 
J.  C.  Hepburn,  M.  D.,  and  his  wife.  Li  one  year, 
Mr.  McBryde's  health  had  declined  so  much,  that  it 
was  evident  he  also  must  soon  withdraw  from  that 
sphere  of  labour,  and  thus  leave  Dr.  Hepburn  alone 
in  the  China  mission.  In  these  cu'cumstances,  and 
having  at  that  time  no  other  suitable  man  to  send, 
the  question  in  the  view  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee was  clear,  that  China,  and  not  Western 
Africa,  was  the  proper  field  of  labour  for  the  new 
missionary.  It  was  behoved,  also,  that  from  the 
tone  of  his  piety,  his  cheerful  temper,  his  thorough 
education,  his  natural  talents  and  untiring  industry, 
he  was  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  China  mission.  It 
was,  however,  with  many  misgivings,  and  much 
reluctance  at  first,  that  he  contemplated  this  change 

2 


14  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

in  his  field  of  labour ;  but  as  there  was  a  perfect 
unanimity  of  sentiment  in  the  Executive  Committee, 
the  professors  in  the  Seminary  at  Princeton,  and 
other  ministerial  brethren,  all  of  whom  he  greatly 
respected,  he  yielded  cheerfully  to  their  judgment — • 
viewing  these  things  as  a  call  from  God  to  labour 
in  that  great  and  destitute  part  of  the  Saviour's 
vineyard. 

On  the  5th  of  April,  he  was  licensed  to  preach 
the  Gospel  by  the  Second  Presbytery  of  New  York. 
After  leaving  the  Seminary  in  May,  he  spent  a  few 
weeks  at  home,  preachmg  on  the  Sabbath  in  differ- 
ent churches.  In  July  and  August  he  was  sent  by 
the  Executive  Committee  to  the  most  distant  land 
office  in  Michigan,  to  secure  the  pre-emption  right 
to  the  mission  station  among  the  Chippewa  Indians, 
as  the  government  had  advertised  the  Indian  reser- 
vation for  public  sale.  The  sale,  however,  was 
postponed  before  he  reached  the  land  office,  and  on 
his  return  he  spent  some  time  among  the  churches 
in  Western  New  York.  Late  in  the  autmnn  he 
visited  his  friends  in  Western  Pennsylvania  for  the 
last  time,  and  by  these  various  joui'neys  his  health 
was  much  improved. 

He  was  ordained  on  the  9  th  of  November,  1841, 
and  on  the  evening  of  the  last  Sabbath  of  the  same 
month,  a  deeply  interesting  farewell  missionary 
meeting  was  held  in  the  Brick  church,  New  York. 
Addresses  were  made  by  the  Rev.  Gardiner  Spring, 
D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  church,  by  the  missionary,  and 
by  his  father.  These  addresses  would  possess  much 
interest  now,  but  no  copy  of  them  was  preserved. 
It  was  expected  that  the  vessel  would  sail  early  in 
December,  but  she  was  delaved  till  January,  and 
in  the  interval  his  time  was  cliiefly  spent  at  home. 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  15 

Jefferson  College,  March  10th,  1837. 

My  Dear  Father  : — In  my  last  letter  I  mentioned 
that  as  far  as  I  could  see,  if  nothing  providential  oc- 
curred, I  had  made  up  my  mind  on  the  question, 
''  Should  I  become  a  missionary  ?"  It  never  seemed 
to  present  any  great  difficulty  to  my  mind,  and  I  don't 
know  that  I  could  give  any  particular  account  of  the 
reasons,  which  led  me  to  believe  that  it  was  duty  on 
my  part  to  spend  my  life  among  the  heathen.  'The 
question  always  seemed,  though  a  very  important 
one,  to  be — Can  I  do  more  abroad  than  at  home  ? 
There  were  no  providential  hinderances  to  prevent 
me  from  going.  Indeed  Providence  seemed  rather 
to  point  to  the  heathen  as  the  proper  place.  My 
own  inclinations  and  feelings  pointed  the  same  way. 
If  I  have  piety  to  fit  me  for  being  a  minister  at 
home,  I  might  hope  to  have  it  for  being  a  mission- 
ary abroad.  Of  my  talents  and  qualincations  for 
the  work,  others  must  judge.  Almost  the  only 
difficulty  was  in  regard  to  my  health.  My  consti- 
tution being  weak,  it  seemed  almost  unable  to  bear 
much  fatigue ;  for  even  the  labour  of  study  is  prey- 
ing on  it  in  some  degree.  But  though  the  case 
seemed  so  clear,  do  not  think,  dear  father,  that  it 
was  on  account  of  my  vanity  that  it  appeared  so. 
For  almost  alwa3^s  when  the"  duty  of  being  a  mis- 
sionary appeared  strongest,  I  felt  my  own  strength 
or  my  own  fitness  to  be  least.  And  even_  now, 
when  the  troubles  and  deprivations  and  duties  of 
missionary  fife  come  up  to  view,  the  question  in- 
voluntarily occurs,  "Who  is  sufficient  for  these 
things  ?"  Yet  if  I  know  my  own  heart,  I  am  wilfing 
to  five  or  die  for  the  heathen.  It  is  now  nearly 
two  months  since  I  came  to  the  determination  ex- 
pressed above,  and  never  yet  has  a  single  emotion 
of  regret  crossed  my  mind  on  account  of  it.  Nay, 
a  load  has  been  thrown  off,  and  I  feel  a  deeper 
interest  in  everything  that  concerns  the  extension 
of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom.     Pray  for  me,  dear 


16  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

father ;  unless  I  have  more  piety  than  I  now  have, 
I  am  not  fit  for  the  missionary  work^  nor  for  the 
ministry  at  home. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Pittshurgh,  September  13th,  1837. 

My  Dear  Father — We  fi^nished  our  examination 
eight  days  ago,  but  I  have  been  so  busy,  I  have 
not  had  time  to  write  to  you.  At  the  close  of 
our  examination,  I  expected  to  be  told  that  I 
might  have  my  Diploma,  but  further  or  higher, 
I  had  not  directed  my  thoughts.  Judge  of  my 
surprise  then,  when  on  the  next  morning,  ^  Dr. 
Brown  gave  me  the  enclosed  as  my  standing.* 
I  had  never  thought  of  standing  more  than  respec- 
tably, but  this  grade  is  equivalent  to  what  was 
once  called  the  first  honour.  There  were  two 
others  in  the  class  who  were  marked  equally  high. 
I  have  been  appointed  Valedictorian,  which  is 
considered  here  the  most  important  post  at  the 
Commencement.  I  hope,  however,  you  will  not 
consider  me  to  be  a  very  excellent  scholar,  on  ac- 
count of  the  high  standing  I  have  with  the  Faculty. 
In  languages  especially,  I  do  not  consider  myself  to 
be  much  above  mediocrity. 

As  soon  as  Commencement  is  over,  I  shall  set 
out  for  home.  Though  I  should  hke  very  much  to 
enter  on  the  study  of  theology  immediately,  yet  I 
do  feel  almost  afraid  to  commence  without  a  longer 
recess  than  common.  During  my  collegiate  course, 
I  have  not,  on  an  average,  studied  three  hours  a  day ; 
but  at  the  Seminary,  I  would  wish — indeed^  it  seems 

*  Walter  M.  Lowrie, 

Grade.  Grade. 

Languages,        1.  Natural  Science,     1. 

Moral  Science,  1.  Mathematics,  1. 

M.  Brown. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  17 

essential — that  at  least  four  hours  daily  be  spent  in 
study.  Still,  with  an  opportunity  of  daily  syste- 
matic exercise,  I  should  not  feel  much  hesitation 
about  the  Seminary  studies.  Others  Avith  far  worse 
health  than  mine,  have  gone  through  as  severe  a 
course;  and  as  I  may  probably  never  have  very 
strong  health,  it  may  not  be  worth  while  to  delay 
on  that  account,  especially  if  my  youth  be  not  con- 
sidered too  strong  an  objection. 

I  remain  your  affectionate  son, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Neio  YorJc,  November  21st,  1837. 
Mr.  John  Lloyd — Dear  Brother  : — Though  this 
method  of  communication  is  but  a  poor  substitute 
for  that  "sweet  counsel"  we  have  so  often  enjoyed, 
yet  as  it  is  the  best  that  now  remains  for  us,  I  gladly 
embrace  the  first  good  opportunity  that  has  yet 
occurred,  to  renew  our  friendship.  For  it  does  seem 
as  though  it  had  to  be  renewed,  when  I  think  that, 
though  you  and  myself  have  often  "held  sweetest 
converse  about  what  Grod  had  done  for  our  souls," 
and  that  though  our  eyes  have  brightened  and  our 
hearts  warmed,  as  we  "talked  by  the  way,"  yet 
now  we  are  separated  by  a  distance  of  more  than 
four  hundred  miles,  and  are  without  the  prospect  of 
seeing  each  other  for  months,  and  perhaps  years. 
Yet  though  separated  in  body,  I  trust  we  are  often 
present  in  spirit,  and  especially  that,  at  the  throne 
of  "our  Father,"  we  can  still  enjoy  communion, 
and  be  the  means  of  profit  to  each  other,  perhaps 
even  greater  than  that  which  our  mutual  conversa- 
tions could  have  afforded.  It  is  surely  consoling 
to  know  that  there  is  One  who  watches  over  us,  and 
over  our  dearest  friends,  far  better  than  we  could 
possibly  do,  and  that  at  all  times  he  will  do  all 
things  well.  Yet,  were  it  consistent  with  duty,  I 
shoiud  like  again  to  spend  a  few  hours  with  you, 


18  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

and  again  partake  in  those  social  joys  that  kindred 
spirits  like  yours  and  mine  so  much  delight  in.  My 
situation  here,  though  fully  as  pleasant  as  I  expected 
it  to  be,  is  very  dilferent  from  what  it  was  at  Ca- 
nonsburg.  I  have  as  yet  very  few  acquaintances 
here,  and  do  not  expect  to  have  many.  Those  that 
I  have,  I  know  not  what  they  are,  for  the  rules  of 
fashion  are  so  trammelHng,  that  one  cannot  at  once 
make  those  friendly  advances  which  are  common 
among  you.  Consequently  when  I  w^ould  enjoy  the 
holier  joys  of  friendship,  I  must  draw  off  my  atten- 
tion from  things  around  me,  and  return  to  past  days 
and  scenes,  in  many  of  which  you  and  one  or  two 
others  held  a  conspicuous  part.  Do  you  remember 
that  day  after  our  missionary  meeting*^  of  the  Society 
of  Inquiry,  last  March,  when  you  and  I  took  that  long 
walk  "  over  the  hills  and  far  away,"  and  in  our  con- 
versation seemed  to  have  some  foretastes  of  "glory 
begun  below  T  Many  and  many  a  time  has  it  risen 
to  my  mind,  and  if  it  has  not  drawn  tears  from  my 
eyes,  it  has  done  what  is  better — encom-aged  me  to 
go  forward,  and  caused  me  to  gird  up  the  loins  of 
my  mind  anew  for  the  heavenly  race,  and  made  me 
sometimes  to  remember  a  friend,  a  fellow-expectant 
of  what  "eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither 
hath  it  entered  into  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive." 
I  am  very  glad  to  find  that  comparative  sohtude 
agrees  so  Avell  with  me ;  for  I  w^as  really  afraid  that 
after  being  so  used  to  meetings  of  one  kind  or  an- 
other every  night,  it  would  be  difficult  to  get  along 
without  them.  In  fact,  it  does  require  some  effort 
to  keep  ahve  the  spirit  of  piety,  when  one  has  no- 
thing like  the  Society  of  Inquiry  or  the  Brainerd 
Society  to  excite  to  action;  nothing  but  the  stated 
ordinances  of  God's  house  to  nourish  the  soul.  Yet 
on  that  very  account  I  prize  my  present  situation 
the  more,  because  I  am  thereby  enabled,  or  perhaps 
I  should  say  required,  to  live  more  by  faith  and  less 
by  sight,  or  frames  and  feelings.  And  to  a  mission- 
ary nothing  can  be  more  important,  than  to  be  able 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  19 

to  live  without  any  thing  to  keep  the  sonl  in  con- 
stant excitement;  for,  as  it  has  been  well  remarked, 
'^  when  he  gets  to  his  field  of  labour,  he  can  attend 
no  crowded  meetings  to  hear  some  eloquent  orator 
descant  upon  the  magnanimity  of  the  missionary 
enterprise."  All  the  '^romance  of  missions"  must 
then  be  laid  aside,  and  in  its  reality,  he  may  almost 
be  tempted  to  forget  for  whom  and  for  what  he  is 
labouring,  and  becoming  discouraged,  lay  down  his 
weapons,  and  retire  vanquished  from  the  field  to 
which  his  Master  called  hnn. 

It  seems  to  me,  on  looking  back  on  the  last  two 
or  three  years  of  my  collegiate  course,  that  we  all 
lived  too  much  by  excitement,  not  enough  by  simple 
faith.  Our  religious  societies  were  precious  and 
profitable,  and  I  should  be  sorry  to  give  them  up, 
but  perhaps  we  depended  too  much  on  them,  with- 
out remembering  that  "  Paul  may  plant  and  ApoUos 
water,  but  God  alone  can  give  the  increase;'  and 
this  dependence  on  these  means,  (at  least  in  my 
OAvn  case,)  was  productive  of  a  spirit  of  action  more 
resembling  the  "crackling  of  thorns,"  than  the 
steady,  intense  flame  that  consumed  the  Jewish 
sacrifices.  Oh,  my  brother!  guard  against  this 
spirit  of  trusting  to  any  thing  in  preference  to  the 
revealed  will  of  God,  and  his  ordinances,  for  anima- 
tion in  the  divine  Ufe. 

What  is  the  state  of  missionary  feehng  now 
among  you  ?  Do  you  yet  hear  the  voice,  "  Come 
over  and  help  us,"  and  tlie  wailing  cry,  "And  what 
then?"  as  it  rises  from  the  death-bed  of  the  Hin- 
doo, and,  borne  across  the  waste  of  waters,  reaches 
our  ears  both  from  the  east  and  the  west,  swelled  as 
it  is,  and  heightened  and  prolonged  by  the  addition 
of  innumerable  others?  Oh,  does  the  "cry  of  the 
nations,"  echoed  and  re-echoed  from  the  distant 
mountains,  still  sound  among  you?  Or  does  it  die 
away  among  the  crumbling  ruins  of  heathen  temples, 
unheard  and  unheeded,  save  by  the  infidel  and  the 
deist?     Oh,  who  is  there  to  come  up  to  the  help  of 


20  MEMOIR   OF  WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

the  Lord  against  the  midity?  There  is  nothing  in 
all  my  course  for  which  1  reproach  myself  so  much, 
as  that  I  did  so  little  to  excite  a  missionary  spirit 
at  College.  I  do  not  mean  among  those  who  were 
already  determined  as  to  the  path  of  duty,  but 
among  those  w4io  had  not  decided  the  question;  for 
very  rarely  did  I  press  upon  any  of  them  as  I  should, 
the  importance  of  the  w^ork,  the  necessity,  absolute, 
increasing,  and  alas !  almost  irremediable  necessity 
now  existing  for  labourers,  and  their  own  duty  in 
this  great  matter.  Dear  brother,  can  you  not  do 
something?  You  have  the  confidence  of  most  of 
the  pious  students,  and  could  you  but  muster  courage 
enough  to  determine  to  do  something  in  this  matter, 
unborn  millions  w^ould  bless  you  for  it.  Let  me 
transcribe  for  you  a  few  lines  from  an  appeal  of 
some  missionaries  in  India;  you  have  perhaps  seen 
them  before,  but  they  will  bear  reading  and  pray- 
ing over  again : 

''The  soil  is  ready  for  the  seed,  and  the  seed 
ready  to  be  sown,  but  where  are  the  husbandmen? 
Li  some  places  it  has  been  scattered  abroad  and  the 
fields  are  white  for  the  harvest,  but  where  are  the 
reapers?  Congregations  large  and  attentive  might 
be  procured  every  day,  hut  we  have  no  men.  Schools 
might  be  estabhshed  on  Christian  j)rinciples,  but  toe 
have  no  men.  Humanly  speaking,  souls  might  be 
saved,  but  'hoiv  can  they  hear  tvithoiit  a  jyreacherf 
You  can  increase  the  number  of  these  queries  to  an 
almost  indefinite  extent,  but  the  answer  will  almost 
always  be,  we  have  no  men !  We  have  gone  to  the 
colleges  and  seminaries  of  learning,  but  we  found 
few  to  answer  our  demands.  We  w^ent  to  the 
haunts  of  society,  but  one  was  busied  about  his 
farm,  and  another  about  his  merchandise,  and  an- 
other with  the  sweets  of  domestic  society.  We 
"went  to  the  schools  of  the  prophets,  and  asked  if 
on  any  of  them  rested  the  spnit  of  Efijah?  but 
there  were  few  to  answer  the  call.  Despairing,  we 
looked  to  the  heathen,  and  as  we  saw  them  go  down 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  21 

by  crowds  to  the  darkness  of  the  second  death,  we  felt 
as  if  yet  another  effort  should  be  made.  Oh,  who 
will  go  for  us  ?" 

Wishing  you  all  temporal  and  all  spiritual  bless- 
ings, and  sympathizing  most  sincerely  with  you  in 
your  afflictmg  bereavement,  (of  wliich  I  have  only 
just  heard,) 

I  remain  your  hrother, 

^N  M.  LowRiE. 


New  YorJc,  January  1st,  1838. 
Mr.  John  Lloyd — A  happy  new  year  to  you, 
friend  John !  and  may  you  see  many  more  such,  if 
the  Lord  will !  What  are  you  doing  now,  whilst  I 
am  writing  to  you  ?  Cousin  John  tells  me  you  have 
hohdays  (old  times  are  in  that  word)  at  present; 
so  I  will  just  let  my  imagination  try  if  she  can  find 
where  you  are,  or  what  you  are  doing.  But  as  you 
are  pretty  much  of  a  home-loving  creature,  I  sup- 
pose I  need  not  go  far  to  find  you.  Probably  you 
are  going  about,  paying  some  fifteen  minute  visits, 
for  you  were  never  famous  for  long  ones;  or  very 
probably  you  are  standing  by  the  side  of  the  old 
mill-dam,  and  watching  the  fellows  skating.  I 
hardly  think  you  would  adventure  yourself  on  the 
ice,  for  you  are  almost  too  grave  for  that.  But  no — 
I  forget;  this  is  the  first  Monday  of  the  month,  and 
of  the  year,  and  therefore  you  are  probably  stuck 
up  in  a  corner  of  your  room,  reading  all  the  mis- 
sionary pamphlets  you  can  lay  hands  on.  By  the 
way,  have  you  read  the  life  of  Swartz?  If  you 
have  not,  let  me  "lay  my  commands"  on  you  to 
read  it  immediately.  You  know  how  much  our  ex- 
perience resembles  each  other's — now  rejoicing,  and 
now,  again,  discouraged  and  without  heart.  Swartz 
was  always  on  the  proper  pitch;  constantly  in  the 
exercise  of  strong,  unwavering,  childlike  confidence 
in  God;  and  therefore  he  was  always  ready  to  employ 


22  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

himself  in  his  Master's  business.  He  was  always 
busy,  always  cheerful,  and  always  useful.  Dear 
brother,  ma}^  we  strive  to  be  like  him,  and  may  we 
have  the  same  success  in  our  labours  that  he  had  in 
his !  I  can  ask  for  few  blessings  greater,  either  for 
you  or  for  myself,  than  is  contained  in  that  wish. 
I  read  Bedell's  memoirs  some  time  ago,  and  have 
just  now  finished  those  of  Hannah  More.  They 
are  both  of  them  most  excellent.  The  former  I  was 
dehghted  with.  The  memoirs  of  the  latter  are  also 
ver}^  interesting,  indeed.  They  are  compiled  from 
her  letters  almost  entirely,  including  a  great  many 
from  various  celebrated  characters  who  were  cotem- 
j)orary  with  herself;  and  are,  I  think,  excellent 
models  of  epistolary  correspondence.  The  style  of 
almost  all  is  very  good,  and,  what  is  far  more  im- 
portant, through  most  of  them  there  is  a  strong  vein 
of  deep-toned  sensibility  and  piety.  I  really  began 
to  entertain  a  considerable  degree  of  reverence  for 
her  before  I  got  quite  through  the  memoir.  She 
was  an  extraordinary  woman,  possessed  of  more 
than  common  talents,  and  able  to  do  almost  what 
she  pleased;  yet,  so  far  from  indulging  herself  in 
this  liberty,  her  whole  life  was  spent  in  a  most  quiet 
manner,  without  any  flashes,  or  romantic  adventures 
or  pursuits,  or  anything  inconsistent  with  the  char- 
acter of  a  plain,  common-sense  woman. 

Mitchell  and  Orr,  missionaries  to  China,  sailed 
nearly  a  month  ago.  How  soon  will  you  be  ready? 
Do  you  still  think  of  China  in  preference  to  India? 

It  seems  strange  that  this  is  the  beginning  of 
another  year.  How  the  time  rolls  around !  Yet 
to  me  the  thought  that  time  is  rapidly  passing  away 
is  pleasant.  It  is  solemn,  and  3xt  most  delightful, 
to  think  that  my  "salvation  is  nearer  than  when  I 
believed;"  that,  if  I  am  a  Christian,  I  am  three 
years  nearer  to  my  heavenlj^  home  than  when  first 
the  light  of  truth  beamed  on  my  darkened  and  dis- 
tressed mind.  True,  of  many  misimprovements 
and  much  waste  of  precious  time,  I  have  to  accuse 


MEMOIR   OP   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  23 

myself;  yet  still  the  Lord  is  full  of  compassion, 
and  the  blood  of  Christ  cleanseth  from  all  sin ;  and 
through  him  I  can  look  death  in  the  face,  and  ex- 
claim, when  Satan,  and  doubts,  and  fears  assail  me, 
"I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth."  By  the  way, 
I  heard  a  sermon  on  that  text  yesterday,  from  an 
Episcopal  minister.  He  said  that  the  word  translated 
Redeemer  in  this  passage,  was  the  same  as  that 
used  in  Ruth  iii.  9,  "A  near  kinsman,"  or,  as  the 
margin  has  it,  ''  One  that  has  a  right  to  redeem." 
The  mention  that  such  was  the  meaning  of  the  word, 
led  me  into  a  train  of  very  pleasing  and  profitable 
thought.  If  we  had  been  taken  captive  by  ene- 
mies, and  knew  that  our  father,  or  mother,  or  brother, 
were  aware  of  it,  we  should  be  sure  that  they  would 
use  every  exertion  to  ransom  us.  But  there  is  a 
friend  that  sticketh  closer  than  a  brother :  this  friend 
is  our  Redeemer,  and  this  Redeemer  is  the  omni- 
potent God.  Can  there,  then,  be  any  doubt  of  our 
final  salvation  ? 

The  last  two  or  three  months  have  been  very 
pleasant  ones.  I  seem  to  have  had  more  nearness 
of  access  to  God,  greater  confidence  in  the  Saviour, 
and  more  of  the  influences  of  the  Spkit,  than  I 
have  usually  had.  Among  other  reasons  for  these 
great  blessings,  I  have  no  doubt  but  the  prayers  of 
my  many  friends  in  Canonsburg  and  its  vicinity 
have  had  much  effect.  I  still  need  your  prayers 
very  much,  for  I  am  prone  every  moment  to  fall. 

And  now,  brother,  my  paper  tells  me  I  must 
close;  and  commending  you  to  the  grace  of  God, 
which  is  able  to  keep  you  through  faith  unto  salva- 
tion, I  remain. 

Your  affectionate  brother  in  Christ, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


24  MEMOIR  OF  WALTER   M.   LO^VRTE. 

Princeton,  July  4th,  1838. 

My  Dear  Mother —  ...  I  get  up  every  morning 
at  half  past  four,  often  sooner,  but  rarely  later,  and 
take  a  walk  of  one  or  two  miles.  It  is  most  invig- 
orating to  the  whole  system,  while  the  fresh  air, 
singing  birds,  pleasant  fragrance  of  the  fields,  and 
the  thousand  and  one  nameless  jDleasures  of  a  morn- 
ing walk,  concur  to  make  it  a  most  dehghtful  cus- 
tom. When  I  get  back  it  is  near  breakfast  time. 
The  appropriate  duties  of  the  morning  over,  I  com- 
mence study  at  seven,  and  continue  till  half  past 
ten,  or  perhaps  eleven,  at  Latin,  Greek  and  Hebrew, 
singing  a  little  at  intervals  by  way  of  relaxation. 
Dinner  is  ready  at  half  past  twelve,  and  miscella- 
neous employments  occupy  me  till  two;  then  some 
regular  reading  connected  with  the  course  here,  till 
half  past  four.  Prayers  and  supper  at  five,  and  com- 
pany, talking,  walking,  singing,  meetings,  bathing, 
reading,  writing,  thinking,  and  not  thinking,  &c., 
till  nine.  Generally  I  manage  to  be  asleep  soon 
after  ten.  My  next  door  neighbour  has  an  alarm 
clock,  which  usually  awakens  me  in  the  morning, 
and  if  it  did  not  the  old  hell  would  at  five.  Though 
not  pursuing  the  regular  studies  of  my  class,  I  find 
abundance  to  do,  and  my  time  generally  passes  in 
the  way  above  described. 

There  is  here,  as  may  be  supposed,  every  variety 
of  character.  The  variety  is  fully  as  great,  if  not 
greater,  than  it  was  at  College,  excluding  of  course 
those  who  were  not  professors  of  religion.  There 
is  a  good  deal  of  reserve  among  the  students  to- 
wards new  comers,  though  perhaps  not  greater  than 
one  would  expect.  As  yet  I  have  not  made  many 
intimate  acquaintances,  and  do  not  wish  to,  for  a 
short  time.  There  are,  however,  some  lovely  spiiits 
among  these  brethren. 

Yours  affectionately, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  25 

Princeton,  February  22d,  1839. 

Mr.  John  Lloyd — On  the  subject  of  personal  reli- 
gious feeling,  I  suppose  I  can  sympathize  with  you 
as  formerly.  It  is  distressing  to  feel  that  we  ought 
to  be  more  engaged  in  the  service  of  God,  and  yet 
feel  a  deadness,  a  numbness  of  all  the  moral  feelings, 
when  we  contemplate  divine  things.  In  such  a  con- 
dition, the  word  of  God,  while  we  see  that  it  has 
force,  makes  no  impression  on  us;  prayer  seems 
more  like  a  task  than  a  pleasure ;  meditation  is  a 
tedious,  tasteless  thing.  And  yet  we  cannot  feel 
happy  in  the  world ;  that  does  not  satisfy  us ;  that 
cannot  fill  the  aching  void.  But  it  is  profitable  to 
be  left  thus,  at  times ;  for  then  we  feel  more  and 
more  our  own  weakness,  and  perhaps  it  would  not 
do  for  persons  constituted  as  you  and  I  are,  to  enjoy 
too  much  of  mere  comfort:  we  would  place  our 
hearts  too  much  on  the  pleasure,  and  be  in  danger 
of  forgetting  Him  from  whom  it  came.  On  this 
subject  there  is  great  danger,  too,  of  our  making 
mistakes,  and  because  we  do  not  enjoy  religion  as 
much  as  formerly,  of  thinking  we  are  not  as  en- 
gaged as  we  were  then.  The  truth,  I  suppose,  is, 
that  we  are  not  to  measure  our  standard  of  piety 
by  our  enjoyment,  so  much  as  by  the  steadiness  of 
our  purpose  of  self-consecration  to  God.  The  more 
willing  we  feel  to  renounce  all  for  him,  to  submit  to 
him,  to  be  anything  or  nothing  as  he  chooses — in- 
deed, to  have  our  will  entirely  swallowed  up  in  his, 
just  so  far,  and  no  further,  do  we  grow  in  grace. 
Like  John  the  Baptist  we  shall  say  of  our  Saviour, 
"He  must  increase,  but  I  must  decrease."  And 
there  is  a  pleasure  in  lying  down  ^  at  the  feet  of 
Jesus,  and  yielding  ourselves  to  him,  which  may 
not  be  accompanied  with  tumultuous  joy,  but  it 
brings  a  calm  and  holy  peace  which  the  world  never 
knew.  At  such  times  we  look  on  death  and  the 
grave  without  fear,  nay,  almost  with  desire;  for, 
though  we  are  willing  to  laboui'  our  three  score 

3 


26  MEMOIR    OF   WALTER    M.    LOWREE. 

years  and  ten,  3^et  we  feel  that  "to  be  with  Christ 
is  far  better."  Dear  brother,  when  you  feel  3M)ur 
heart  so  cold,  does  it  not  rejoice  you  to  think  that 
in  heaven  it  will  not  be  so  ? — that  there  ^''ou  shall 
know  and  love  as  much  as  you  wish,  and  that  these 
vexing  cares  and  trying  experiences  will  be  no  more  ? 

"There  is  an  hour  of  peaceftil  rest 
To  mourning  vrauderers  given ; 
There  is  a  joy  for  souls  distressed— 
A  balm  for  every  wounded  breast: 
'Tis  found  above — in  heaven." 

AVlierefore,  my  brother,  comfort  3^our  heart  with 
these  words.  The  Psalmist,  in  his  affliction,  remem- 
bered God  "from  the  land  of  the  Hermonites,  and 
the  hill  Mizar."  There  is  a  land  and  a  hill  to  which 
you  can  refer  with  feelings  of  joy — I  need  not  say 
where  nor  when.  I  commenced  the  preceding  page 
with  my  own  heart  in  the  dust;  but  these  thoughts 
have  gladdened  it  and  refreshed  me. 

I  think  you  will  be  highly  delighted  with  the 
Seminary  course,  especially  the  study  of  Hebrew; 
nothing  ever  delighted  me  so  much,  in  the  way  of 
study,  as  that  venerable  language;  and  the  facih- 
ties  of  studying  it  are  now  so  great  that  any  one 
may  acquire  it.  Get  Nordheimer's  Grammar  by  all 
means,  and  don't  think  of  any  other;  it  is  a  real 
treat  to  read  that  Grammar. 

I  must  close,  but  only  for  want  of  time  to  write 
more.  The  Jefferson  students  here  are  all  well, 
and,  if  they  knew  I  was  writing,  would  doubtless 
ask  to  be  remembered  to  you. 

Farewell. — Pray  for  me. 

In  Christian  love,  yours, 
I  W.  M.  LoWREE. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  27 

Princetony  June  24th^  1839. 

Mr.  John  Lloyd — Dear  Brother: —  ....  I  am 
very  sorry  you  cannot  come  here  in  the  fall.  To 
me  nothing  would  ai'ford  greater  pleasure ;  for  one 
of  kindred  spirit  with  myself,  to  enter  fully  into  all 
my  feelings  and  sympathize  with  me,  I  have  not 
found  since  we  parted — at  least,  none  like  yourself. 
It  pains  me  now  at  times,  when  I  think  how  much 
more  profitable  w^e  might  have  been  to  each  other  in 
the  Christian  hfe.  But  it  also  rejoices  me,  to  think 
of  our  seasons  of  Christian  intercourse,  and  of  the 
long  w^alks  we  had  over  the  hills,  when  we  talked 
of  heaven,  and  our  hearts  burned  as  our  Saviour 
met  with  us  by  the  way.  Do  you  ever  now  enjoy 
such  seasons  ?  Yesterday  Dr.  Alexander  preached 
on  2  Cor.  iii.  18;  "We  all,  with  open  face,"  &c. 
While  preaching,  a  few  thoughts  of  the  astonishing 
condescension  and  love  of  Jesus,  the  great  God, 
taking  our  nature  upon  him,  and  living  "manifest 
in  the  flesh,"  seemed  to  fill  my  mind.  ^  I  could 
readily  conceive  of  a  Christian's  soul  being  swal- 
lowed up  in  contemplation  of  God's  character  and 
the  Saviour's  love.  Oh!  the  riches  of  boundless, 
endless  grace !  Yet  it  is  not  often  this  icy  heart  is 
thus  melted,  and  oh !  it  is  much  easier  for  the  flame 
once  kindled  to  die  away,  than  to  mount  up  and 
reach  towards  heaven.  Dear  brother,  pray  for  me. 
The  Christian's  life  is  a  warflire,  and  more  and  more 
do  I  feel  that  every  day  must  witness  conflicts  and 
battles  sore  and  long.  Why  should  the  soldiers 
slumber  when  the  enemy  is  upon  them  ?  Especially 
wdiy  should  the  leaders  be  remiss  when  the  danger 
is  so  urgent? 

The  subject  of  missions  receives  some  attention 
here,  but  not  what  it  deserves.  Last  term  the  in- 
terest was  considerable,  and  there  were  twelve  or 
fifteen  who  looked  forward  to  the  foreign  field  as 
their  future  destination,  llow  flourishes  the  spuit 
of  missions  at  College  ?     You  have  never  mentioned 


28  MEMOIR  OF  WALTER  M.    LOWRIE. 

this  in  any  of  your  letters.  I  hope  the  Brainerd 
Society  prospers.  That  band  of  brothers  midit  do 
wonders ;  they  ought  to  do  much.  So  we  all  should. 
But  oh !  how  cold'  our  love,  how  weak  our  faith  is 
found.  "Ye  know  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ." 

Most  truly  yours, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Princeton,  August  21st,  1839. 

To  Mr.  John  Lloyd — Dear  Friend  : — Your  letter 
did  me  good  like  a  cordial.  It  convinced  me,  though 
I  did  not  need  that,  that  there  was  one  person  in 
the  world  who  cared  for  so  useless  and  insignificant 
a  creature  as  myself;  that  I  was  affectionately  re- 
membered when"^  the  lowering  clouds  without  were 
but  an  emblem  of  the  deeper  gloom  within;  and 
when  despondency  seemed  to  paralyze  the  energies 
of  the  soul,  that  still  there  were  those  who  would 
pray  for  me,  and  sympathize  with  me.  It  was  good 
news  from  a  far  country;  and,  if  you  will  pardon 
the  comparison,  as  Jonathan  stripped  off  his  own 
robe  and  gave  it  to  David,  so  did  the  disposition 
and  frame  you  seemed  to  be  in  steal  over  my  mind. 

There  is  not  much  missionary  spirit  in  the  Semi- 
nary at  present,  and  few,  if  any,  have  lately  decided 
to  go  abroad.  Still  there  appears  to  be  an  under- 
current of  feeling  on  the  subject,  which,  w^e  hope, 
will  soon  manifest  itself  openly.  I  have  not  yet 
decided  where  to  go,  and  do  not  expect  to,  for  some 
time.  But  let  me  whisper  in  your  ear,  for  I  don't 
w^ant  it  known,  that  I  look  to  a  field  nearer  home 
than  China,  or  even  North  India.  Don't  hold  up 
your  hands  in  astonishment  at  this — I  mean  AVestern 
Africa,  the  white  man's  grave.  There  has  been  a 
grefit  change  of  feehng  in  the  Seminary,  in  regard 
to  this  field,  since  I  came  here.  Last  summer,  at 
tlie  first  part  of  the  session;  there  was  not  one 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  29 

student  who  even  thought  of  Western  Africa  as  a 
missionary  field.  But  during  the  course  of  the  last 
winter,  one,  and  then  another,  of  the  brethren  de- 
termined to  go  to  Western  Africa,  and  they  have 
now  gone.  May  our  Father  go  with  them  !  I  look 
on  this  experiment  with  deep  interest; — it  is  yet  an 
experiment,  but  I  hope  it  will  be  successful. 

My  religious  feelings  are  exceedingly  cold  at 
present.  It  is  difticult  to  be  always  engaged  in  the 
critical  study  of  the  Bible,  and  collateral  objects  of 
inquiry,  and  not  have  the  mind  at  times  drawn 
away  from  the  spirit  to  the  mere  letter  of  the  com- 
mands. Yet  I  do  at  times,  even  in  recitation,  obtain 
a  glimpse  of  Plim  whom  my  soul  loveth;  and  0, 
how  sweet  is  his  countenance  !  The  doctrine  of  jus- 
tification by  faith  has  appeared  to  me  in  a  clearer 
light  this  summer  than  ever  before;  and  though 
sometimes  the  "  old  man"  seems  to  revolt  against  it, 
yet  it  always  seems  the  most  glorious  to  God,  and 
worthy  of  acceptance.  It  gives  an  immovable 
ground  of  confidence,  and  removes  every  reason  for 
despair.  0  that  we  may  both  heartily  embrace  it, 
and  be  saved  for  Christ's  sake  only ! 

Write  to  me  soon. 

Your  brother  in  Christ, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Princeton^  December  11th,  1839. 

Mr.  John  Lloyd — Dear  Brother: — Your  very 
welcome  epistle  was  taken  up  principally  in  propos- 
ing objections  to  Western  Africa  as  a  missionary 
field;  and  I  was  glad  to  read  them;  not  that  they 
have  altered  the  current  of  my  desires,  but  they 
brought  the  subject  fully  before  me  again. 

Your  objections  were — 1st.  The  unhealthiness  of 
Western  Africa,  and  2nd.  The  prospects  of  useful- 
ness in  North  India  or  China.  The  first  is  a  strong 
one,  and  even  stronger,  perhaps,  than  you  suppose ; 

3* 


so  ME:Mom  OF  waiter  m.  lowrie. 

in  one  point  of  view,  and  to  one  ignorant  of  the 
facts,  it  is  so.  Of  one  hundred  and  ten  missionaries 
sent  by  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  in  the 
course  of  thirty  years,  a  very  large  proportion  died 
in  two  or  three  months,  and  vastly  the  majority 
before  they  did  anything:  yet  the  very  first  one 
who  went  out  lived  twenty-three  years,  and  several 
others  shorter  periods.  But  the  question  is,  why 
so  many  died  so  soon?  Answer:  1st.  Because  of 
the  unhealthiness  of  the  climate.  2nd.  Because  far 
less  was  known  of  the  climate  of  Western  Africa 
by  medical  men  than  of  almost  any  other  tropical 
country ;  and  therefore  their  remedies  were  not  so 
skilfully  applied,  nor  preventives  so 'effectually  used 
in  the  first  instance.  oiK  Because  ma*iy  of  the 
missionaries  acted  exceedingly  rf^skly  when  they 
first  commenced  operations.  They  came  from  En|^- 
land  and  Germany,  and,  in  some  cases,  with  insuffi- 
cient accommodations  on  their  voyage.  They  com- 
menced their  labours  immediately.  During  the  hot 
summer  they  preached  two  or  three  times  every 
Sabbath,  superintended  schools  during  the  week, 
worked  at  hard  work  often.  Others,  particularly 
females,  died  of  complaints  not  peculiar  to  any 
climate.  As  to  the  first  reason,  it  is  with  me  a 
question  whether  the  climate  of  Africa  is  at  all  more 
unhealthy  than  that  of  India. 

Now  for  the  second. — The  prospect  of  doing  a 
great  deal  of  good  in  India  is  very  flattering.  But 
is  Africa  to  be  left  until  India  is  evangelized  ?  Per- 
haps, also,  we  do  not  at  all  know  what  the  prospects 
are  in  Africa.  I  am  inclined  to  think  them  very 
extensive.  Certainly  our  missionaries  have  their 
hands  full,  and  much  more.  What  else  can  they 
say  in  India  ?  Again,  the  human  heart  is  the  same 
everywhere ;  yet  I  apprehend  that  there  are  not  so 
many  obstacles  in  Africa  to  the  conversion  of  the 
natives  as  there  are  in  India.  They  are  a  ruder 
people ;  they  have  less  to  pride  themselves  upon  in 
the  way  of  science;  arts,  and  wealth,  than  the  Hin- 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  31 

dus ;  and  we  know  that  not  many  noble,  not  many 
mighty,  are  called.  True,  the  Lord  is  able  to  con- 
vert the  learned  and  proud,  just  as  well  as  the  igno- 
rant and  degraded ;  blessed  be  his  name  for  it :  ^yet 
still,  do  we  not  commonly  find,  that  among  the  latter 
there  are  more  cases  of  hopeful  conversion  than 
among  the  former  ?  But  I  have  not  time  now  to 
continue  the  subject.  These  are  some  of  the  reasons, 
barely  mentioned,  and  thrown  together  without  any 
order,  that  combine  to  make  me  prefer  Western 
Africa.  China,  I  fear,  is  to  me  out  of  the  question. 
My  life  will  probably  be  short  at  best,  and  I  cer- 
tainly expect  the  greater  part  of  it  would  be  gone 
before  I  could  master  that  language.  Siam  I  might 
like  on  some  accounts.  I  have  talked  of  India  often, 
and  while  my  brother  was  there,  I  thought  of  that 
country;  but  it  has  noA^er  appeared  to  me  in  so  in- 
viting an  aspect  as  it  has  to  some  others.  My  sym- 
pathies are  awakened  for  Africa.  My  judgment, 
perhaps  influenced  somewhat  by  my  sympathies, 
speaks  for  her;  the  prospects  of  usefulness  call 
loudly;  objections  do  not  seem  so  strong  to  me  as 
to  some  others;  and  "Here  am  I,  Lord,"  is  all  I 
have  to  say  about  this  subject.  My  mind  is  not 
made  up,  and  will  not  be,  till  I  have  more  carefully 
examined  the  subject.  The  Lord  direct  my  in- 
quiries, and  yours  also,  my  dear  brother. 

We  are  now  engaged  in  studying  theology — an 
interesting,  delightful,  and  infinite  subject. 

Yours  in  the  most  cordial  Christian  love, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Princeion,  February  21st,  1840. 
Mr.  John  M.  Lowrie — Dear  Cousin:—  ....  I 
was  reading  Turrettin's  Theology  this  morning,  about 
the  tree  of  life,  and  the  comparison  he  instituted 
between  the  tree  of  life  and  Christ  was  really  most 
delightful.     I  could  almost  believe  I  was  in  heaven 


32  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

partaking  of  its  fruits,  numerous  and  varied  and 
rich  as  they  are;  sitting  under  its  shade,  and  quatf- 
ing  of  the  river  of  the  water  of  life,  that  flows  from 
the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb.  Oh  for  that 
happy  time  when  faith  shall  be  turned  to  sight,  and 
expectation  to  the  full  fruition  of  the  holy  joys  of 
heaven !  But  alas !  the  language  of  mourning  and 
sorrow  suits  me  best.  I  know  but  in  part,  and  I 
am  sanctified  but  in  part.  I  see  but  through  a 
glass  darkly,  and  eternal  things  fade  away  in  the 
distance,  while  earthly  trifles  fill  the  mind.  But  it 
will  not  always  be  so.  The  Lord  prepare  us,  both 
living  and  dying,  to  glorify  his  name ! 

....  With  my  present  views  of  the  holy  minis- 
try, I  would  rather  spend  four  years  than  three  in 
preparing  direct!}'  for  it,  and  certainly  I  think  there 
will  be  no  reason  to  regret  having  spent  a  session 
extra  in  reference  to  it. 

I  find  that  in  every  place  I  have  still  the  same 
evil  heart,  the  same  proneness  to  depart  from  God ; 
and  I  fear  ver}^  much,  lest  after  a  wdiile,  the  exer- 
cises of  this  place,  admirabl}^  calculated  as  they 
appear  to  be  for  the  cultivation  of  piety,  should 
degenerate  with  me  into  a  mere  round  of  formal 
duties.  Nothing  but  constant  dependence  on  God, 
and  constant  renunciation  of  ourselves^  can  possibly 
secure  us  from  danger. 

I  am  more  and  more  convinced  that  the  Bible, 
the  word  of  God,  should  be  the  great  study  of  the 
minister  of  God,  and  that  all  other  studies  should 
be  subservient  to  this.  Even  theology  is  only  valu- 
able so  far  as  it  gives  us  clearer  views  of  wdiat  the 
Bible  teaches,  and  connected  views  of  its  great 
doctrines.  With  a  comprehensive  and  extended 
knowledge  of  the  Bible  as  a  whole,  and  in  detached 
portions,  we  shall  be  workmen  that  need  not  be 
ashamed. 

Your  affectionate  cousin, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  33 

Princeton,  September  3d,  1840. 

Mr.  John  Lloyd — My  Dear  Brother  :■ —  ....  At 
the  time  I  received  your  letter  I  was  not  very  well, 
and  shortly  afterwards  went  home  and  spent  a  week 
there.  I  was  at  that  time  received  under  the  care 
of  the  Second  Presbytery  of  New  York,  and  had 
my  pieces  assigned  me.  My  Latin  piece  is,  "An 
Christus  pro  electis  solum  mortuus  sit  ?"  on  which  I 
have  written  an  essay,  and  translated  it  into  some- 
thing that  professes  to  be  Latin,  and  is  so  long  that 
it  covers  five  foolscap  pages.  This,  with  many  and 
various  other  duties,  has  kept  me  very  busy  for 
several  weeks  past.  My  health  is  now  very  good, 
and  I  hope,  Deo  volente,  to  be  licensed  next  April, 
and  ordained  soon  after. 

....  I  have  just  been  examining  a  little  insect 
on  my  window,  and  comparing  its  body  with  those 
of  other  insects  and  with  my  own.  It  is  wonder- 
fully different  from  them  in  shape,  size,  materials, 
uses,  and  objects.  It  has  some  members  I  do  not 
possess,  and  wants  others  granted  to  me.  It  has 
Hfe,  though  not  an  inch  in  length,  and  it  appears  to 
enjoy  its  existence.  It  is  but  one  of  an  infinitely 
numerous  class  of  beings,  each  species  of  which  is 
so  different  from  every  other,  that  we  can  haixUy 
conceive  of  them  as  possessing  any  qualities  in  com- 
mon. Yet  they  have  some,  for  they  all  live,  they 
all  enjoy  life,  and  they  were  all  made  by  one  great 
and  glorious  Being.  How  condescending  must  he 
be,  who  has  so  curiously  wrought  their  Uttle  frames ! 
How  wise,  thus  to  fashion  their  bodies  !  How  kind, 
thus  to  grant  them  hfe  and  happiness !  How  infinite 
in  knowledge,  to  know  all  their  actions,  to  direct 
and  govern  all  their  motions,  to  foresee  and  provide 
for  all  their  wants  !  Will  he  look  with  indilference 
on  men !  "Will  he  neglect  to  attend  to  them  when 
they  lift  their  eyes  to  him,  and  cry,  Abba,  Father? 
Surely  not. 

But  how  humbling  is  the  thought,  that  with  all 


34  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

our  boasted  wisdom  and  vaunted  power,  we  cannot 
understand  the  hidden  mysteries  of  these  little 
insects,  nor  frame  another  like  them !  But  then  it 
is  a  glorious  truth,  that  hereafter  we  shall  know  all 
w^e  wish  to  know;  and  our  knowledge,  instead  of 
puffing  us  up,  wdll  humble  us,  and  cause  us  to  love 
our  God  and  Saviour  more.  And  even  now,  we 
may  look  on  these  little  living  things,  and  say,  "  My 
Father  made  them  all."  I  thank  thee,  little  fly; 
the  sight  of  thee  has  filled  my  soul  with  pleasant 
thoughts;  and  I  write  them  here  that  my  friend 

mav  share  them  with  me 

arewell. — The  Lord  be  with  you  and  bless  you. 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Lay 


Princeton^  November  IGth,  1840. 

My  Dear  Mother — Your  letter  from  the  distant 
south,  came  to  me  like  good  news  from  a  far  country. 
You  left  New  York  September  30th,  I  left  it  the 
next  day,  and  had  a  pleasant  journey  to  Philadel- 
phia, Canonsburg,  Pittsburgh,  and  Butler,  going  and 
returning,  a  thousand  miles  of  travel.  I  spent  a 
most  pleasant  Sabbath  with  the  church  at  Miller's 
Bun,  where  my  old  Sunday-school  is.  At  Pitts- 
burgh the  Synod  w\as  in  session,  and,  both  in  that 
city  and  in  Butler,  I  saw  and  spoke  to  many  dear 
friends.  For  particulars,  I  refer  you  to  the  inclosed. 
On  the  5th  of  November  I  arrived  at  my  old  room 
in  Princeton,  prepared  to  say  with  gratitude,  Hither- 
to tlie  Lord  has  helped  and  blessed  me. 

I  have  now  got  pretty  fairly  settled  down  to  study. 
This  is  my  last  session;  I  can  scarcel}^  realize  that 
so  short  a  time  as  six  months  will  finish  my  theo- 
logical course.  It  would  not  take  much  to  induce 
me  to  begin  it  again.  At  present,  other  duties  seem 
to  call  me  hence;  but  wdio  is  sufficient  for  these 
things  ? 

1  shall  probably  offer  myself  to  the  Board  as  a 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  35 

missionary  soon,  unless  something  of  which  I  know 
nothing,  should  occur  to  prevent.  Don't  stay  so 
long  in  the  south,  that  you  cannot  be  back  in  time 
to  see  me  off. 

Yours  most  truly, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Princeion,  December  10th,  1840. 

To  THE  Executive  Committee  of  the  Board  op 
Foreign  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church — It 
has  been  my  wish  and  intention  for  several  years  to 
spend  my  life  as  a  missionary  to  the  heathen.  Be- 
lieving that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Church  in  her 
organized  capacity  to  prosecute  the  work  of  mis- 
sions, I  offer  myself  to  you  as  a  candidate  for  that 
work;  and  if  accepted,  shall  hold  myself  in  readi- 
ness to  enter  on  it  shortly  after  the  close  of  the 
present  session  of  the  Theological  Seminary. 

I  am  now  in  my  twenty-second  year,  and  have 
been  a  professor  of  religion  for  nearly  six  years. 
The  work  of  missions  has  always  appeared  to  me  to 
be  identical  with  that  of  the  ministry,  requiring  the 
same  talents  and  preparation,  and  demanding  that 
those  who  engage  in  it  should  be  actuated  by  the 
same  motives  which  influence  those  who  enter  on 
the  ministry  at  home.  The  considerations  which 
have  influenced  me  to  believe  I  ought  to  enter  some 
foreign  field,  are,  a  desire  for  some  such  field,  con- 
sidered as  a  means  of  being  more  useful,  and  the 
fact,  that  while  comparatively  a  large  number  are 
willing  to  enter  the  ministry  at  home,  few  will  go 
abroad.  The  call  from  heathen  lands  is  loud.  It 
must  be  answered,  and  knowing  no  particular  rea- 
son why  I  should  settle  in  this  country,  I  feel  pre- 
pared with  humility,  and  yet  with  cheerfulness,  to 
say,  "Here  am  I,  Lord,  send  me."  In  addition  to 
this,  the  leadings  of  Providence,  ever  since  I  first 
joined  the  church,  and  particularly  since  I  entered 


36  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LO^YRIE. 

this  Seminary,  have  seemed  to  direct  my  course  far 
hence  to  the  Gentiles. 

In  makinp^  you  this  offer  of  my  services,  I  shall 
leave  it  to  the  Committee  to  decide  on  my  field  of 
labour.  My  own  preferences  however  are  strongly 
towards  Western  Africa,  and  I  am  perfectly  willing 
to  take  on  myself  the  responsibility  of  going  to  that 
field.  It  has  been  before  my  mind  distinctly  for 
two  years  and  a  half,  and  before  either  of  your  pre- 
sent missionaries  to  that  field  had  decided  to  go 
there.  Still,  if  it  be  probable  that  my  usefulness 
^vould  be  greater  elsewhere,  I  shall  w^illingly  go  to 
any  other  field.  My  health  is  not  robust,  yet  com- 
monly it  is  good.  I  believe  myself  to  be  more  in 
danger  of  pulmonary  diseases  than  of  any  other, 
but  should  probably  be  less  liable  to  them  in  a  more 
southern  climate  than  this. 

Praying  that  the  Lord  would  bless  and  prosper 
the  cause  of  missions,  and  all  those  engaged  either 
at  home  or  abroad  in  furthering  it,    . 

I  remain  with  Christian  respect  and  esteem, 
Yom^s,  &c.,  W.  M.  LowRiE. 


Bedford,  N,  Y.,  May  26th,  1841. 

My  Dear  Mother — I  have  spent  the  week  here 
very  pleasantly.  On  the  Sabbath  I  preached  twice, 
and  attended  a  funeral,  five  miles  off.  These  exer- 
cises wearied  me  very  much. 

I  have  just  had  one  of  the  longest  jaunts  among 
the  rocks  I  have  had  for  some  time.  After  ascend- 
ing a  number  of  small  hillocks,  each  higher  than  the 
precedins:,  and  each  crowned  with  several  large  rocks, 
1  reached  the  top  of  the  highest  hill.  The  prospect 
was  beautiful,  and  on  several  sides  extensive.  Whilst 
resting,  I  began  to  observe  more  minutely  the  top 
of  the  hill.  Several  large  rocks  shot  up  obhquely 
from  beneath  the  ground ;  a  few  moderate-sized  trees 
were  growing  among  them^   and  I  found  several 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  37 

little  delicate  flowers — a  violet,  a  little  white  flower, 
and  various  kinds  of  grasses.  What  a  contrast  be- 
tween the  everlasting  rocks  and  the  fading  flowers, 
and  yet  both  were  found  side  by  side !  I  could  not 
help  thinking  of  the  way  in  which  the  Bible  some- 
times groups  together  the  grandest,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  most  lovely  of  God's  attributes  j  for  ex- 
ample— 

"  Thy  kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  thy 
dominion  endureth  throughout  aU  generations.  The 
Lord  upholdeth  all  that  fall,  and  raiseth  up  all  that 
be  bowed  down." — Psalm  cxlv.  13,  14. 

So  admirably  do  the  book  of  nature  and  the  book 
of  revelation  agree,  when  they  speak  of  our  hea- 
venly Father.  Pursuing  my  observations  further,  I 
found  several  busy  ants  tugging  away  at  their  seve- 
ral loads,  a  little  wood  spider,  and  several  delicately 
formed  little  flies,  all  busy,  and  all  apparently  happy. 
Yet  though  so  small,  God^the  same  God  that 
founded  the  hills,  and  hardened  the  rocks — was 
watching  over  them,  and  supplying  their  wants.  I 
admired  the  wisdom  and  goodness  displayed  in 
everything  there,  and  with,  I  trust,  a  good  deal  of 
the  spirit  of  a  true  worshipper,  I  knelt  down  on  the 
hill-top  to  ofler  praises  and  prayers  to  him,  whom 
the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain,  and  who  yet 
dwells  in  the  humble  and  the  contrite  heart.  Such 
seasons  are  Hke  foretastes  of  heaven.  I  may  never 
revisit  that  sohtary  place,  yet  I  hope  often  to  re- 
member it 

Yours  most  affectionately,  W.  M.  Lowreb. 


Ogdenshurghy  July  31st,  1841. 
My  Dear  Father — I  have  just  received  yours  of 
July  28th,  and  as  it  was  the  first  news  I  had  from 
home,  it  was  a  very  agreeable  visitor.  I  have  made 
appointments  to  preach  to-morrow  at  Morristown, 
and  at  the  second  church  of  Oswegatchie,  and  the 

4 


38  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWREE. 

Sabbath  following  at  Evans'  Mills,  so  that  I  shall 
not  be  able  to  leave  for  home  until  the  9th  or  10th 
of  August.  I  hojie,  however,  to  be  home  about  this 
day  two  weeks.  Thus  far  my  visit  has  been  very 
pleasant,  and  profitable  to  myself  at  least,  if  not  to 
others.  The  people  have  everywhere  received^  me 
cordially,  and  seemed  quite  gratified  at  my  coming. 

In  regard  to  the  object  for  which  Mr.  Orr  wishes 
to  see  me,  I  suppose  I  know  what  it  is,  and  am  half 
inclined  to  think  that  it  can  be  settled  as  well  in  my 
absence  as  otherwise.  My  mind  Avas  turned  very 
strongly  to  Africa  three  years  since,  and  the  con- 
siderations that  induced  me  to  wish  to  go  there  were 
— that  very  few  are  wilhng  to  labour  m  that  field, 
and  that  my  talents  seem  to  fit  me  pecuharly  for 
such  a  people  as  the  Africans  are.  I  like  to  deal 
with  an  ignorant  and  yet  affectionate  people,  who 
are  not  self-conceited.  My  acquirements,  prepara- 
tions, &c.,  seem  to  quahfy  me  for  that  field.  An- 
other consideration  that  weighs  a  good  deal  with  me 
is,  that  every  one  expects  that  I  shall  go  to  Africa. 
It  is  not  vanity  that  induces  me  to  believe,  that 
both  Canfield  and  Alward  will  be  greatly  disap- 
pointed should  I  go  to  any  other  field;  and  I  fear 
that  many  of  those  who  know  what  my  intention 
has  been,  will  attribute  any  change  in  my  destina- 
tion to  fear  of  the  climate.  For  myself,  I  should 
not  care  about  any  such  suspicions;  but  the  efiect 
on  others  may  be  unpleasant,  as  it  may  induce  some 
who  have  thought  of  going  to  Africa  to  hesitate. 

There  is  still  another  consideration  of  a  personal 
nature.  The  mission  to  Africa  is  considered  rather 
a  dangerous  experiment,  and  if  I  should  now  decide 
to  go  elsewhere,  would  it  not  give  some  captious 
spirits  the  opportunity  of  saying,  that  the  Corres- 
ponding Secretary  was  willing  to  let  others  go  there, 
but  not  to  let  his  own  son  expose  himself?  These 
considerations  make  me  unwilling,  with  my  present 
views,  to  take  on  myself  the  responsibihty  of  de- 
termining to  go  to  any  other  country.     If  the  Ex- 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  39 

ecutive  Committee,  however,  think  my  services  are 
more  needed  in  China  than  in  Africa,  and  that,  all 
things  considered,  I  will  be  more  useful  in  the 
former  place ;  then  I  have  nothing  further  to  say, 
but  will  cheerfully  submit  to  their  decision;  and 
shall  hold  myself  in  readiness  to  go  this  fall,  if 
necessary.  I  shaU,  in  that  case,  wish  to  have  it 
stated  in  the  Chronicle,  that  ''  my  preference  was  for 
Western  Africa,  but  the  wants  of  the  China  mission 
being  such  as  to  induce  the  Executive  Committee 
to  change  my  destination,  I  consented,"  &c.  Such 
a  statement,  I  think,  would  not  be  improper,  while 
it  would  shield  me  from  the  charge  of  "lightness/' 
or  wishing  to  avoid  an  exposed  station. 

This  letter  you  may  consider  either  as  addressed 
to^  yourself  personally,  or  to  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee. Mr.  Orr's  statements  may  perhaps  induce 
me  to  take  some  other  course  than  the  one  above 
mentioned,  but  at  present,  I  do  not  see  that  I  can  do 
otherwise. 

I  remain  your  affectionate  son, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Steamloat  Si.  Latvrence,  Lake  Ontario^  July  13th. 
Dear  Mother — When  riding  in  the  wild  woods 
of  Michigan,  I  found  so  many  ideas  coming  iip,  that 
I  concluded  to  write  you  a  long  letter.  I  have  it 
all  to  write  yet,  and  the  steamboat  shakes  so,  that 
I  write  like  Mr.  Hopkins  in  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence. 

From  Detroit  by  railroad  to  Ann  Arbor,  it  is  a 
dreary  country  part  of  the  way,  heavy  timber  and 
thick  underbrush,  and  any  quantity  of  marshes.  I 
left  Ionia  July  1st,  and  took  the  road  on  the  north 
side  of  Grand  river.  Next  day  the  road  lay  through 
a  beautiful  country,  though  thinly  inhabited,  and 
with  a  profusion  of  flowers,  some  of  which  were 
very  beautiful.     I  saw  whole  fields  quite  blue  with 


40  MEMOm  OF  WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

the  "  four-o'clocks,"  which  Reuben  watches  so  care- 
fully in  your  little  garden.  Then  there  were  wild 
roses,  red  hlies,  sweet-wiUiams,  yellow  marigolds, 
wild  peas,  and  many  others,  red,  blue,  and  white, 
which  I  had  never  seen  before.  Some  were  very 
beautiful,  especially  the  mocassin  flower.  It  is  a 
large  lady's-slipper ;  the  flower  is  red  and  white, 
and  has  a  very  fine  appearance.  All  this  was  in 
the  wilderness. 


'  Full  many  a  flower  is  born  to  blush  unseen, 
And  waste  its  sweetness  on  the  desert  air." 


But  are  they  unseen?  Is  their  szveetness  wasted? 
Would  this  be  consistent  with  wisdom  in  that  glori- 
ous Being  who  makes  nothing  in  vain?  Yet  of  what 
use  are  they  ?  Well,  they  are  the  houses  of  a  great 
many  insects.  It  is  said  that  several  different  kinds 
live  in  every  plant.  Then,  their  seeds  are  food  for 
the  little  birds.  Who  can  tell  us,  too,  what  effect 
their  perfumes  have  upon  the  winds  that  sweep 
over  these  solitudes,  and  visit,  in  all  their  freshness 
and  healthful  influences,  the  abodes  of  men  ?  Then, 
how  do  we  know  but  that  these  wild  woods  are  the 
school-houses  of  other  beings,  who  come  down  and 
learn  lessons  from  the  flowers  as  they  spring  up  in 
their  beauty,  and  open  towards  the  pure  light  of 
heaven  ?  It  is  a  very  contracted  view  of  things  to 
suppose  that  the  productions  of  the  earth  are  in- 
tended only  for  man,  and  are  lost  if  he  does  not  use 
them.  But  there  is  another  thought  of  far  more 
weight — these  flowers  are  grateful  to  God  himself; 
he  "dehghts  in  the  work  of  his  hands."  What 
skifl,  and  wisdom,  and  goodness  are  displayed  in 
these  little  flowers !  He  "  clothes  the  hhes  of  the 
field.".  Surely,  if  God  dehghts  in  these  works  of 
his  hands,  they  were  not  made  in  vain — their  beauty 
is  not  unseen — their  sweetness  is  not  wasted. 

The  following  Sabbath  I  spent  in  Buflalo,  and  on 
Monday  I  started  off  for  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  de- 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  41 

termined  that  this  time^  I  would  see  both  sides.  I 
spent  several  hours  on  the  Canada  side,  and  got  my 
face  wet  with  the  spray  on  Table  Eock,  but  did  not 
feel  inclined  to  go  under  the  Horse-Shoe  fall.  I  soon 
began  to  drink  in  the  spirit  of  the  place,  and  to  feel 
my  soul  expanding  with  the  emotions  it  was  so 
well  fitted  to  produce.  I  will  not  inflict  a  descrip- 
tion on  you  for  several  very  good  reasons.  I  spent 
the  night  and  the  next  day  till  2  p.  m.,  on  the 
American  side.  Every  step  about  the  falls  was  as 
famihar  as  if  I  had  traversed  them  but  yesterday, 
and  yet  it  was  seven  years  since  our  hasty  visit  to 
the  place.  The  little  bridge  on  the  Terrapin  rocks, 
where  we  all  sat  down,  and  looked  over  into  the 
boiling  ab3^ss,  is  broken  down.  You  will  recollect 
how  we  all  admired  that  magnificent  scene.  I  felt 
melancholy  almost  all  the  time.  Where  were  those 
with  whom  I  had  formerly  walked  over  these  scenes  ? 
Two  of  them  were  already  in  their  graves.  I  saw 
many  others  there,  like  our  party  was  seven  years 
ago — husbands  and  their  wives, — parents  and  their 
children, — brothers  and  their  sisters.  As  we  did 
then,  they  seemed  to  enjoy  their  visit  the  more  from 
the  society  of  each  other.  But  I  was  now  alone, — 
I  knew  no  one,  and  scarcely  spoke  to  any  one.  ''A 
stranger  and  a  pilgrim,"  mj  thoughts  turned  to  our 
everlasting  home.  Here  I  was  surrounded  with  the 
evidences  of  the  power  and  glory  of  God.  The 
dashing,  roaring  waters;  the  foam  and  the  silver 
bubbles  that  floated  on  the  waves ;  the  bright  rain- 
bow that  played  in  quietness  over  the  scene;  the 
old  trees  on  the  island;  and  the  little  flowers  that 
grew  out  of  the  fissm^es  of  the  everlasting  rocks — 
each  seemed  to  have  a  tongue  to  speak  the  praises 
of  the  great  Creator.  My  heart  was  full;  and  as  I 
felt  almost  overpowered  by  the  solemnly  joyful  feel- 
ings of  my  soul,  I  could  not  but  ask — will  there  be 
such  scenes  as  these  in  heaven?  The  only  answer 
I  could  give  was,  if  not,  there  will  be  that  which 
will  produce  the  same  emotions  that  these  do,  in  a 

4* 


42  MEMOIR  OF   WiVLTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

more  enrapturini^  degree.  We  can  know  the  char- 
acter of  God  only  in  his  word  and  in  his  works,  for 
himself  we  cannot  see.  Here  we  learn  his  power, 
wisdom,  and  goodness,  hy  such  sights  as  these.  In 
heaven  we  shall  know  far  more  of  these  same  attri- 
butes. What  the  works  which  shall  declare  those 
attributes  shall  be,  we  may  not  presume  to  say. 
But  if  they  are  not  such  as  we  see  on  earth,  they 
will  be  so  much  more  glorious,  that  we  shall  not 
Avish  again  to  see  these  mighty  displays  of  his 
power. 

From  the  falls  I  went  to  Ogdensburgh,  and  was 
most  kindly  received  by  the  Ilev.  Mr.  Savage  and 
his  lady.  I  remained  in  this  neighbourhood  from 
the  20th  of  July  till  the  od  of  August,  and  preached 
in  a  number  of  the  churches.  Some  of  our  meet- 
ings were  seasons  of  deep  interest,  and  I  formed 
acquaintances  which  I  will  remember  while  I  Hve. 
With  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Savage  and  their  children,  I 
could  not  but  feel  at  home.  I  saw  a  good  deal  of 
that  dear  patriarch,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Rogers,  and 
preached  for  him  several  times.  I  enjoyed  our  in- 
tercourse ver}^  much,  and  I  trust  was  profited  by 
the  privilege  of  being  with  him.  When  speaking 
of  the  Saviour  he  said:  "Whenever  the  Bible 
speaks  of  Christ  by  way  of  metaphor,  it  is  always 
with  some  term  expressive  of  divine  excellencies. 
If  he  is  called  a  tree,  then  it  is  the  tree  of  life.  If 
he  is  called  a  vine,  then  it  is  the  true  vine.  If  he 
is  called  a  shepherd,  then  it  is  the  good  shepherd. 
If  he  is  called  a  plant,  then  it  is  the  plant  of  re- 
nown." The  remarks  may  not  be  new  to  you,  but 
they  were  new  to  me,  and  they  brought  to  my  mind 
the  idea,  that  the  flowers  of  the  Bible  are  like  the 
flowers  of  the  field,  the  more  closely  they  are  ex- 
amined, the  more  beautiful  do  they  appear. 

The  river  St.  Lawrence  is  the  noblest  river  I 
have  ever  seen.  Opposite  Ogdensburgh  it  is  about 
a  mile  and  a  quarter  wide.  I  had  a  good  view  of 
it  from  the  window  of  my  bedroom.     It  flows  on 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  43 

in  its  majestic  calmness;  the  waters  are  beautifully 
clear,  and  very  deep.  The  opposite  bank  looks 
well  in  the  distance^  much  better  indeed  than  when 
you  are  close  to  it. 

July  3 1st.  A  letter  from  home;  all  well.  Mr. 
Orr  has  returned  from  China,  and  wishes  to  see  me. 
I  suppose  he  wishes  me  to  go  to  China.  Well,  1 
am  ready  if  it  be  necessary,  but  I  would  rather  go 
to  Africa.  However,  here  am  I,  and  God  is  every- 
where, and  I  will  go  wherever  he  sends  me. 

August  2d.  My  time  in  this  pleasant  neighbour- 
hood IS  nearly  up,  and  in  two  days  I  set  off  for 
home.  Yet  why  do  I  talk  of  home  ?  "  Strangers 
and  pilgrims" — such  we  all  are,  and  who  more  than 
I?  I  don't  know  whether  this  lonely  feelins;  that 
so  often  comes  over  me  is  the  cause  of  it,  but  I  love 
to  walk  in  graveyards,  and  read  the  names  on  the 
tombstones.  The  influence  of  such  places  seems 
to  come  over  my  soul  with  a  quietness  and  calm- 
ness that  is  really  pleasant.  When  I  was  in  Ro- 
chester I  visited  Mount  Hope  cemetery — a  beauti- 
ful place.  The  inscription  on  a  grave  of  a  mother 
and  her  daughter,  struck  me  as  very  beautiful: 

"The  night  dew  that  falls,  though  in  silence  it  weep, 
Shall  brighten  with  verdure  the  grave  where  they  sleep ; 
And  the  tears  that  we  shed,  though  in  secret  they  roll, 
Shall  long  keep  their  memory  fresh  in  the  soul." 

Denmark,  N.  Y.,  August  9th.  I  preached  yes- 
terday three  times  at  Evans'  Mills,  and  was  pretty 
well  tired.  These  ministers  have  no  mercy  on  a 
wayfaring  brother  when  he  comes  alon^.  I  left 
early,  and  arrived  here  at  eight  p.  m.  I  nave  now 
before  me  sixty-one  miles  by  stage,  ninety-six  by 
railroad,  and  one  hundred  and  fort3^-five  by  steam- 
boat; three  hundred  and  two  miles,  to  be  passed 
over  in  thirty-six  hours.  However,  rest  after 
labour  is  sweet.  If  we  were  all  as  eagerly  antici- 
pating the  rest  of  heaven,  as  I  am  the  close  of  my 
present  journey,  it  would  be  well. 

Most  affectionately  yours,         W.  M.  Lowrie. 


44  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 


PiUshurgh^  September  24th,  1841. 

My  Dear  Mother — Since  leaving  New  York  on 
this,  most  probably  my  last  visit  to  this  side  of  the 
mountains,  I  have  been  so  constantly  on  the  move, 
1  have  not  been  able  to  write  to  you.  Indeed  there 
has  but  little  occurred  that  is  worth  notice.  I  came 
by  way  of  Washington  and  Canonsburg,  spending 
a  Sabbath  at  Miller's  Eun,  my  old  parish  when  I 
was  a  student  in  college.  It  was  a  time  of  deep 
feeling  both  to  them  and  to  myself,  especially  when 
I  told  them  I  never  expected  to  meet  them  again  in 
this  world.  I  preached  on  Monday  in  Canonsburg, 
and  on  Tuesday  came  to  Pittsburgh.  After  two 
days  with  our  friends  there,  I  set  off  for  Butler  and 
Venango  counties.  I  spent  the  Sabbath  in  Butler, 
and  preached  once  for  Mr.  Young.  I  need  not  go 
over  my  visits  to  our  friends.  Very  j^leasant  and 
very  painful  they  were.  0  how  anectionate  and 
kind  my  dear  aunts  were;  and  painful  as  was  om- 
parting,  it  was  brightened  with  the  blessed  hope  of 
meeting  again  in  peace,  when  time  shaU  be  no  more. 

I  returned  to  Butler  on  Saturday,  and  preached 
for  Mr.  Young  on  the  Sabbath.     In  the  morning,  on 


"1  am  a  stranger  in  the  earth;"  and  the  afternoon 
on  missions.  In  the  evening,  a  very  large  number 
came  to  the  Monthly  Concert  meeting,  and  Mr. 
Young  and  myself  both  addressed  them.  Much 
feeling  was  manifested,  and  many  tears  shed.  My 
text  in  the  morning  seemed  to  my  own  feelings  to 
be  appropriate,  even  in  this  the  place  of  my  birth. 
I  left  the  place  so  young,  and  have  been  so  long 
absent,  that  my  earliest  playmates  are  strangers  to 
me.  I  walk  through  its  streets,  and  feel  myself 
almost  alone.  I  meet  but  few  I  know,  and  the 
houses  of  old  friends  are  filled  with  strange  flices. 
The  school-house  looks  unnatural,  from  the  changes 
in  the  neighbouring;  building's,  and  the  thickets  and 
the  forests  where  I  played  have  been  cleared  away. 
Even  the  church,  with  which  some  of  m}^  earhest 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWREE.  45 

recollections  are  associated,  has  been  removed,  and 
another  stands  near  its  former  site.  In  the  grave- 
yard alone,  I  felt  at  home.  How  my  deepest  affec- 
tions clustered  over  the  grave  of  my  own  sainted 
mother;  the  letters  on  her  tombstone  are  not  more 
faithful  to  their  trust,  than  is  my  memory  to  her 
pure  and  lovely  virtues.  There,  too,  were  many 
whom  I  knew  slightly,  or  of  whom  I  have  learned 
much  from  others.  How  sweet  the  thought  that 
mpny  of  God's  children  are  sleeping  here,  and  their 
dust  is  precious  to  that  Saviour  who  never  sleeps, 
and  w^ho  has  the  keys  of  death  in  his  hand. 

Next  day  I  came  to  Pittsburgh,  and  after  stay- 
ing a  few  days  with  my  sister,  I  w^ill  set  out  for 
home.  .  .  . 

Affectionately  yours, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Princeton,  September  3d,  1841. 

THE    PRESENCE    OF    CHRIST   WITH    HIS    PEOPLE. 
[Written  in  a  book  of  Extracts,  for  Wm.  H.  Ilornblower.) 

That  Christ  Jesus  is  constantly  with  his  people, 
is  a  fact  declared  with  surprising  frequency  both  in 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments.^  It  was  he  who 
appeared  to  Isaac,  and  said,  "Sojourn  in  this  land, 
and  I  will  be  with  thee,  and  bless  thee:"  Gen. 
xxvi.  3.  It  was  he  who  appeared  to  Jacob,  as  he 
lay  upon  the  cold  ground,  and  said,  "I  am  with  thee 
in  all  places;  I  will  not  leave  thee:"  Gen.  xxviii. 
15.  It  was  he  who  appeared  to  Moses  in  the  burn- 
ing bush,  and  sending  him  to  the  court  of  Pharaoh, 
said,  "Certainly  I  will  be  with  thee:"  Ex.  iii.  12. 
And  when  David,  in  the  sweetest  strains  of  poetry 
and  piety,  sang,  "  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd,  I  shall 
not  want;  yea,  though  I  walk  througli  the  valley 
of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil,  for  thou 


46  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

art  with  me/'  there  is  no  doubt  but  it  was  the  pre- 
sence of  the  Saviour  which  he  so  gratefully  acknow- 
ledges. 

For  a  time  Christ  was  with  his  disciples  in  the 
flesh,  and  they  saw  his  glory :  but  it  was  "  expe- 
dient^' that  he  should  depart.  And  yet  he  is  with 
his  people  still.  By  his  Spirit,  by  his  providence, 
by  his  own  personal  and  abiding  presence,  he  is 
with  them  still,  and  will  ever  be  with  them.  Almost 
the  first  tlimg  recorded  of  him  by  Matthew  is,  that 
his  name  is  "  Emmanuel,  God  with  us."  His  own 
last  words  on  earth  to  his  disciples  were,  "  Lo,  I  am 
with  you  always."  And  this  is  not  all.  His  prayer 
to  the  Father  is,  "Father,  I  will  that  they  also 
whom  thou  hast  given  me,  be  with  me  where  I  am, 
that  they  may  behold  my  glory." 

That  this  Saviour  may  be  ever  with  you,  my 
dear  brother,  enlightening  you,  sanctifying  you, 
sustaining  you  in  sorrow,  temptation  and  trials, 
making  you  useful  in  life  and  happy  in  death,  and 
glorify ino'  you  with  himself  for  ever, — is  the  earnest 
prayer  of  the  writer  of  these  few  lines. 

tVe  have  lived  and  laboured  together  pleasantly, 
and  profitably  I  trust,  for  a  few  short  years.  We 
must  soon  separate,  but  we  will  meet  again.  Till 
then,  pray  for  me. 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


New  York,  November  30th,  1841. 
Mr.  John  0.  Proctor — Dear  Brother  : — You  will 
probably  begin  before  now  to  suppose,  that  amid  the 
many  cares  and  labours  preparatory  to  a  final  fare- 
well to  home  and  country,  I  have  forgotten  you; 
but  I  have  not.  I  often  think  with  great  pleasure 
of  the  few  days  spent  in  Carhsle  a  year  ago.  How 
soon  our  pleasures  vanish!  yet  when  they  are 
rational,  and  especially  when  they  are  Christian, 
they  leave  a  savour  behind  them  that  survives  their 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  47 

freshness,  like  the  rose,  which,  though  withered, 
still  yields  its  fragrant  perfumes. 

My  ordination  took  place  Tuesday,  November 
9  th,  and  the  farewell  meeting  was  held  last  Sabbath 
night  in  Dr.  Spring's  church.  Addresses  were  made 
by  Dr.  Spring,  my  father,  and  myself.  I  feel  at 
present  very  cheerful,  and  think  I  have  seldom 
passed  my  time  so  pleasantly  as  within  the  last  two 
months;  yet  it  is  not  insensibihty,  nor  want  of 
affection  to  home  and  friends,  that  makes  me  so 
cheerful;  for  tears  wiU  flow  at  times  at  the  thought 
of  going  far  off,  no  more  to  return.  Who  knows 
what  a  day  may  bring  forth  ?  I  am  going  out  into 
the  wide  world,  expecting  to  be  gone  for  life;  yet 
1  know  not  but  that  a  very  few  years  may  see  me 
again  at  home.  However,  that  is  not  probable; 
and  now  I  do  not  desire  it.  It  is  a  responsible  step 
I  am  taking,  and  I  never  felt  more  in  need  of  sus- 
taining grace,  and  of  the  prayers  of  my  friends  to 
secure  that  grace  for  me. 

Dec.  9th.  The  time  of  saihng  is  still  uncertain. 
However,  such  a  disappointment  is  not  very  grievous, 
for  it  gives  the  opportunity  of  being  more  at  home ; 
yet  /  should  not  talk  of  homey  for  there  will  soon  be 
no  such  place  in  the  wide  world  for  me;  and,  in- 
deed, for  many  years,  I  have  spent  but  httle  of  my 
time  at  home.  Lon^  a  wanderer,  I  am  a  stranger 
in  the  place  of  my  birth,  where  I  spent  my  boyish 
days.  When  I  was  out  there  this  fall,  I  felt  alone 
as  I  walked  through  the  streets,  for  a  generation 
had  grown  up  that  knew  me  not,  and  almost  all  my 
old  playmates  were  gone :  some  were  dead ;  others 
married  and  settled  in  life ;  others  moved  far  away ; 
and,  save  here  and  there  a  gray-haired  patriarch  or 
a  mother  in  Israel,  I  knew  very  few.  I  went  into 
the  church  where  my  grandfather  preached,  and  my 
parents  had  worshipped,  and  felt  that  I  was  almost 
alone ;  and  I  preached  on  the  text,  "  I  am  a  stranger 
in  the  earth,  for  no  other  passage  of  Scripture 
seemed  to  suit  my  own  feehngs  so  well.     Now  "  the 


48  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

world  is  all  before  me,  where  to  choose  my  place  of 
rest,  and  Providence  my  guide;"  though  the  poet 
was  wrong  there,  for  men  can  no  more  find  a  place 
of  rest  in  this  fleeting  world,  than  the  dove  could 
find  rest  for  the  sole  of  her  foot,  when  the  waters 
of  the  deluge  rolled  round  the  earth.  Like  her  we 
must  fly,  and  that  towards  heaven,  if  we  would 
avoid  being  buried  in  the  waves  of  worldliness  and 
spiritual  death.  Blessed  be  God,  there  is  for  us, 
also,  an  ark,  where  the  weary  may  resort  for  shelter 
and  defence,  when  the  storm  is  abroad;  and  when 
the  heavens  and  the  earth  shall  have  passed  away, 
we  may  still  repose  with  unshaken  confidence  on 
him  who  now  walks  on  the  waves  that  threaten  to 
engulph  us,  and  who  then  shall  be  our  everlasting 
portion !  I  did  not  intend  to  have  talked  so  much 
about  myself,  but  at  present  nothing  else  occurred 
to  me  that  I  thought  would  interest  you.  I  shall 
hope  to  hear  from  you  very  soon  after  I  get  to 
Singapore.     Pray  for  me. 

Your  brother  in  Christ, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Neio  York,  December  29th,  1841. 

Mr.  John  Lloyd — Dear  Brother: — I  expected 
long  ere  this  to  have  been  on  my  way,  but  I  am  yet 
detained,  and  having  a  spare  hour  this  afternoon,  I 
can  spend  it  very  pleasantly  in  having  a  talk  Avith 
you;  though,  unfortunately,  the  talking  must  be  all 
on  one  side.  The  Huntress,  which  was  to  have 
gone  a  month  ago,  will  hardly  get  off  in  less  than 
two  weeks  from  the  present  tmie.  I  am  now  all 
ready,  or  could  be  ready  at  a  few  hours'  notice ; 
and  as  my  mind  has  become  fiimiliarized  to  the  idea 
of  departure,  I  begin  to  wish  that  it  were  over. 
As  to  my  "feehngs'"  in  the  prospect  of  departure, 
which  you  are  so  anxious  to  know,  they  are  really 
so  commonplace  that  they  are  scarcely  worth  the 


MEMOm   OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  49 

writing.  I  could  liardly  help  being  amused  at  the 
Mvaj  in  which  you  asked  me  to  tell  you  what  my 
feelings  were  at  present;  you  seemed  to  attribute 
so  much  importance  to  them.  I  did  not  say  much 
about  my  feelings,  &c.,  in  my  last  letters  to  you, 
because  I  had  not  time,  and  did  not  feel  then  just  in 
the  humour  for  that  kind  of  writing.  To  tell  the 
truth,  there  are  so  few  persons  to  whom  I  care 
about  telling  my  feehngs,  either  orally  or  by  letter, 
that  lately  I  have  got  much  out  of  the  habit  of  say- 
ing anything  about  those  deeper  feelings  that  are 
known  only  to  God,  and  my  own  soul. 

Another  thing  that  makes  me  say  less  about  them 
is,  that  I  have  learned  not  to  rely  upon  them  so 
much  as  I  once  did;  and  indeed,  I  so  often  find  it 
necessary  to  act  without,  and  even  against  feelings, 
from  a  sense  of  duty,  that  this  makes  me  less  care- 
ful about  them.  They  are  certainly  important; 
when  we  are  in  a  proper  "frame,"  and  our  "feel- 
ings" are  urged  on  by  a  favourable  impulse,  there 
is  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  connected  with  them. 
But  too  much  dependence  upon  them  will  often 
unfit  us  for  duty.  A  man's  feehngs  may  take  their 
colour  from  many  things  besides  his  religious  state. 
He  may  be  melancholy,  from  a  low  state  of  health, 
when  he  thinks  it  is  a  sense  of  sin  that  makes  him 
sad.  He  may  be  cheerful  and  feel  very  grateful, 
as  he  supposes,  from  a  sense  of  God's  favour;  and 
yet  the  greater  part  of  his  joy  shall  be  caused  b}^ 
the  mere  flow  of  animal  spiiits.  Our  feelings  arise 
very  often,  indeed,  from  something  in  ourselves; 
but  our  standard  of  duty  is  not  anything  in  our- 
selves, but  the  eternal  word  of  God.  That  is  hable 
to  no  changes,  and  does  not  fluctuate  with  the  ever- 
varying  tide  of  human  passion,  but  flows  on  ever 
the  same.  I  do  not  undervalue  the  importance  of 
feelings;  they  are  like  the  perfumes  that  sweeten 
the  gales  which  waft  us  on  our  course ;  and  at  times 
they  may  even  be  compared  to  the  gales  that  assist 
the  galley-slave,  as  he  toils  at  his  oars.     But  we 


50  MEMOm    OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

are  rowing  up  stream,  and  it  will  not  do  for  us  to 
lie  on  our  oars,  every  time  the  breeze  lulls.  "Time 
and  tide  wait  for  no  man,"  and  we,  on  the  other 
hand,  in  our  heavenly  course,  must  toil  on  without 
waiting  for  time  or  tide,  or  wind  or  wave.  "  Faint, 
yet  pursuing."  As  John  Bunyan  says  of  rehgion 
among  men,  so  may  it  be  said  of  rehgion  in  the 
heart,  "We  must  own  rehgion  in  his  rags,  as  well 
as  when  in  his  silver  slippers,  and  stand  by  him  too 
when  bound  in  irons,  as  well  as  when  he  walketh 
the  streets  with  applause." 

But  I  did  not  intend  to  write  so  long  a  lecture  on 
the  feelings,  nor  do  I  want  you  to  understand  that 
I  will  not  tell  you  my  feelings,  nor  be  glad  to  hear 
yours : — far  from  it ;  for  some  of  the  pleasantest 
hours  I  have  ever  spent,  have  been  when  commun- 
ing with  you,  as  we  told  each  other  what  the  Lord 
had  done  for  our  souls.  I  do  think,  however,  that 
you  attach  more  importance  to  the  state  of  your 
feehngs,  than  you  ought;  and  hence,  one  reason 
why  your  harp  is  so  often  tuned  to  the  notes  of 
woe.  I  have  often  been  struck  with  the  remarks 
of  Dr.  Doddridge,  in  his  Rise  and  Progress,  chapter 
xxii.  §  2, — "  Religion  consists  chiefly  in  the  resolu- 
tion of  the  will  for  God,"  &c.  That  section  is  well 
worthy  of  your  attention.  But  I  must  stop  writing 
on  this  subject,  or  it  will  fill  up  my  whole  letter, 
and  I  have  a  good  deal  more  to  say. 

This  (December  29th)  is  the  ever-memorable  day 
in  my  history,  when  a  "  hope  of  heaven  first  budded 
in  my  heart."  Seven  years  have  rolled  awaj^  since 
then.  It  seemed  a  long  time  then,  to  look  forward 
seven  years ;  now,  to  look  back,  how  short !  I  have 
been  looking  backward  to-day,  and,  amidst  much 
tliat  is  painful  and  humiliating,  I  find  also  much 
that  is  very  pleasant.  I  think  that  the  most  de- 
lightful object  on  which  I  fix  my  eyes,  during  all 
that  time,'  is  the  walk  you  and  I  had  one  early 
spring  morniuG^,  over  the  hills  about  Canonsburg. 
"VVe  talked  of  heaven,  and  it  seemed  as  if  while  we 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  51 

talked,  heaven  was  opened,  and  we  could  see  its 
glories.  Perhaps  you  have  forgotten  the  time,  hut 
it  seems  to  me  I  never  shall.  Every  time  I  think 
of  it,  the  scene  comes  up  vividly  before  my  mind. 
''  I  remember  thee,  oh  my  God,  from  the  hill  Mizar." 
Shall  we  ever  enjoy  another  such  hour?  I  almost 
fear  at  times,  that  added  years  have  taken  from  me 
the  power  of  appreciating  so  sensibly  the  pleasures 
enjoyed  in  the  days  of  my  "first  love."  Perhaps 
it  is  best  they  should.  At  any  rate  the  instability 
of  youth  is  well  exchanged  for  the  sobriety  of  riper 
years,  when  the  latter  adds  to  our  capacity  for  glo- 
rifying our  Father  in  heaven,  even  though  it  may 
take  away  the  sense  of  novelty  and  delight  once 
experienced.  I  have  been  trying  to  look  forward 
seven  years,  but  who  knoweth  what  a  day  may 
bring  forth?  I  can  see  nothing  certainly,  yet  I 
can  imagine  enough  to  make  me  tremble.  What 
should  such  creatures  as  we  are  do,  if  we  had  not 
an  Almighty  Saviour  near? 

I  feel  very  much  disappointed  at  not  having  seen 
you,  and  would  ask  you  to  come  over  new  year's 
day,  but  I  shall  be  out  of  the  city  for  two  or  three 
days  about  that  time.     Farewell. 

Your  brother  in  Christ, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Nezv  York,  January  18th,  1842. 

Mr.  John  M.  Lowrie — Dear  Cousin: — After 
long  delay,  the  Huntress  is  to  sail  to-morrow.  ^  We 
are  all  well  here,  and  I  beheve  all  in  good  spirits. 
Very  seldom  have  I  found  my  own  mind  so  per- 
fectly calm  and  peaceful,  as  it  has  been  since  last 
Friday.  The  Sabbath  was  to  me  one  of  iny  bright 
days,  or  rather,  as  I  very  seldom  have  bright,  daz- 
zhng  days,  it  was  one  of  those  calm,  peaceful  days, 
when  the  soul  rises  insensibly  above  the  world,  and 
dwells  with  the  assurance  of  faith  on  unseen  reali- 


52  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

ties.  Unexpectedly  to  me,  but  very  gratefully,  it 
was  communion  Sabbath  in  Mr.  Smith's  church;,  the 
church  of  which  I  have  been  a  member  here.  He 
preached  an  excellent  sermon  in  the  morning  on 
"As  oft  as  ye  eat  this  bread,"  &c.  After  commu- 
nion, I  made  a  few  remarks,  and  the  exercises  were 
closed  with  prayer  by  my  brother  John.  It  was 
good  to  be  there,  and  one  of  the  elders  remarked  to 
me  afterwards,  "-  Truly  we  have  had  a  feast,  and  a 
good  day." 

Yours  in  haste,  with  true  affection, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


CHAPTEH  II. 

January  19  to  May  27,  1842. 
Voyage  to  China — Journal  in  the  Huntress. 

SJiip  Huntress^  Wednesday,  Jan.  26th,  1842. 

At  sea,  N.  lat.  33°  38^  W.  long.  54°  04^ 

My  Dear  Mother — As  it  is  just  a  week  to-day 
since  leaving  home,  and  circumstances  are  favour- 
able, I  shaU  commence  my  promised  journal;  though 
I  have  so  much  to  write  up  from  my  pencil  notes, 
that  the  very  idea  of  it  almost  appals  me : — so  much 
by  way  of  preface. 

We  got  under  weigh  at  half  past  twelve  last 
Wednesday,  and,  with  three  hearty  cheers  from  the 
crew,  proceeded  down  the  bay.  The  novelty  and 
excitement  of  my  situation  kept  me  from  any  very 
unpleasant  feelings  at  parting.  I  ought  to  say 
more  than  this,  however.  The  conviction  that  I 
was  in  the  path  of  duty,  and  the  felt  presence  and 
sustaining  influence  of  an  all-gracious  Saviour,  up- 
held me  and  carried  me  safely  through  a  scene  that 
I  had  dreaded  almost  as  much  as  death  itself. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  53 

As  there  was  little  or  no  wind,  tlie  captain  and 
pilot  thought  it  best  to  anchor  for  the  night  in 
Prince's  Buy — a  large  and  very  beautiful  and  safe 
bay,  just  inside  of  the  Hook,  and  wait  till  morning. 
Accordingly  the  steamboat  left  us  at  3^  p.  m.,  and  1 
felt  really  glad,  when  I  saw  INIr.  B.  parting  from 
his  father  and  brother,  that  I  had  come  alone.  The 
quietness  and  deliberation  of  such  partings  are  kill- 
ing. Farewell  speeches  read  very  well,  but  when 
one  is  swallowing  his  feelings  and  choking  almost 
with  emotion,  and  doing  his  utmost  to  retain  his 
calmness  and  composure,  the  sooner  in  such  circum- 
stances the  better.  A  silent  shake  of  the  hand  and 
away  is  enough  for  me.  It  is  bad  enough  to  think 
of  it  now. 

After  reading  my  Bible  with  more  than  ordinary 
interest,  I  went  to  bed  at  ten  p.  m.,  as  quietly  and 
calmly  as  if  I  had  been  at  home,  and  dreamed  of 
you  all  before  morning. 

Thursday,  January  20th.  I  was  wakened  early 
by  hearing  the  men  at  work  on  different  parts  of 
the  rigging,  weighing  anchor,  &c.  I  dressed  and 
went  out  on  deck  before  sunrise.  I  found  Mr.  K. 
there,  and  the  captain  soon  came  out.  There  was 
as  yet  no  wind,  but  the  pilot,  who  was  "wide  awake," 
thought  a  breeze  would  spring  up  about  sunrise,  and 
they  were  preparing  sail,  to  catch  the  first  breath. 
We  did  not  get  feirl}^  started,  however,  until  after 
nine  A.  M.,  when  a  light  breeze  filled  the  higher  sails, 
(topsails  and  top-gallants,)  and  we  slowly  moved 
away.  Several  other  vessels,  outward  bound,  had 
anchored  near  us,  and  they  followed  close  in  our 
wake.  We  soon  got  outside  of  the  Hook,  and  when 
fairly  under  weigh,  the  pilot  left  us,  at  a  quarter 
before  twelve.  I  had  hastily  written  a  few  lines 
to  you  and  father,  which  I  sent  back  by  him.  He 
sprang  hghtly  over  the  side  of  the  vessel  into  a  row 
boat  that  was  waiting  for  him,  and  the  last  link  was 
broken !  We  kept  on  in  somewhat  of  a  south-east 
direction,  and  soon  the  only  object  that  could  be 


54  MEMOIR   OF   V/ALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

seen,  was  the  Highlands,  south  of  the  entrance  of 
the  channel  to  New  York.  I  could  hardly  realize 
my  situation. 

I  soon  found  Mr.  B.  standing  at  the  stern,  look- 
ing rather  pale.  I  could  not  help  laughing,  though 
I  pitied  him,  and  wrapping  myself  in  my  cloak,  as 
there  was  a  fresh  breeze,  I  sat  down  on  a  stool  in 
the  stern  of  the  vessel.  The  motion  soon  began  to 
affect  me,  and  when  I  went  to  dinner,  there  were 
none  at  the  table  except  the  captain  and  Mr.  K.  I 
found  I  was  "too  far  gone"  to  eat  anything,  and 
feeling  very  dizzy,  went  out  into  the  open  air. 
Though  I  felt  more  and  more  sick,  I  could  not  help 
being  struck  with  the  extreme  ludicrousness  of  the 
appearance  of  a  sea-sick  passenger.  How  the  old 
sailors  must  laugh  among  themselves  at  the  pale 
faces  and  wo-begone  countenances  and  staggering 
gait  of  the  "men  with  gloves  on!"  I  was  quite 
sick  on  Friday,  and  till  three  p.  m.  on  Saturday, 
when  I  went  out  on  deck,  and  staid  about  two 
hours.  We  were  then  about  the  middle  of  the 
Gulf  Stream,  and  the  air  was  quite  mild  and  plea- 
sant. Thermometer,  about  63°.  I  saw  a  shoal  of 
fish  playing  in  the  Avater.  Mr.  K.  said  they  were 
porpoises,  but  I  could  not  see  their  shape. 

I  felt  a  great  deal  better ;  went  to  table  and  ate  a 
light  supper,  and  immediately  after  turned  in  for  the 
night  and  slept  pretty  well.  Dreamed  about  home, 
and  my  trip  to  Ogdensburgh,  and  fifty  other  things. 

There !  I  have  got  safely  to  the  end  of  last  week, 
and  I'll  now  turn  in  for  this  night.  It  is  now  past 
four  bells,  i.  e.,  past  ten  o'clock,  p.  m.,  with  us,  while 
my  watch,  which  I  have  not  altered  since  leaving 
home,  says  it  is  a  little  past  nine  with  you.  I  sup- 
pose you  are  now  at  family  worship.  Am  I  right 
m  thinking,  that  the  absent  one  is  remembered  at 
this  hour?  But  I  need  not  ask  the  question,  for  I 
know  it.     Good  night. 

Sabbath  morning,  January  2od.  Rose  and  went 
out  about  six  o'clock^  New  York  time,  but  here  it 


MEMOIR   OF   WiVLTER  M.    LOWRIE.  55 

was  past  sunrise.  The  air  was  very  mild  and  plea- 
sant, and  I  found  little  use  for  my  cloak.  Tempe- 
rature of  the  water  71°;  air,  about  G3°.  Was  out 
on  deck  most  of  the  morning,  wdien  it  was  cool  and 
pleasant.  The  sky  was  covered  with  clouds  almost 
all  day.  I  thought  of  trying  to  preach  in  the  after- 
noon, but  felt  almost  too  weak.  The  captain,  too, 
was  quite  unwell;  and  as  he  and  I  had  concluded 
nothing  definite  when  we  spoke  of  the  subject  be- 
fore, I  did  not  like  to  make  any  move,  without  con- 
sulting him  further.  Could  not  read  much ;  it  made 
me  hght-headed  to  read  more  than  two  or  three 
pages. 

Monday,  24th.  Quite  a  gale  rose  soon  after  mid- 
night, and  took  us  all  aback.  The  captain  was  just 
getting  into  a  refreshing  sleep,  when  he  heard  the 
sound,  and,  rushing  out  on  deck,  he  was  wet  through 
in  an  instant  by  the  rain  and  the  sea ;  and  though 
he  came  back  soon,  yet  he  w\as  much  the  worse  tor 
the  exposure.  I  heard  the  loud  and  rapid  orders 
of  the  mate,  and  the  quick  tread  of  many  feet 
about  deck,  but,  knowing  I  could  be  of  no  use,  I 
kept  my  berth.  Went  out  about  seven  o'clock, 
though  there  was  so  much  motion  in  the  ship,  that 
I  was  nearly  sick,  and  could  hardly  dress  myself. 
It  was  blowing  quite  a  gale,  and  the  ship  was  driving 
on,  and  rolling  like  an^  egg-shell.  Only  think  of  a 
vessel  whose  weight  must  be  several  hundred  tons, 
probably  1200,  tossing  about  like  a  cork!  What 
munense  power  to  produce  such  effects !  And  how 
great  and  powerful  must  lie  be  who  holds  the  winds 
m  his  fists,  and  the  seas  in  the  hollow  of  his  hands ! 
I  stood  and  gazed  on  the  dashing  and  rolling  waves, 
and  thought  of  llini  who  ^'walked  on  the  waters." 
How  sweet  to  think  his  name  is  ^'Enunanuel,  God 
with  us." 

The  gale  continued  all  day  Monday  and  Tuesday, 
and,  as  may  be  supposed,  we  had  a  dreary  time. 
Not  being  perfectly  recovered  from  sea-sickness,  we 
all  felt  it  more  or  less.     There  was  a  constant  gale, 


56  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

the  wind  roaring  and  groaning  through  the  rigging, 
the  foam  and  spray  breaking  over  the  forecastle, 
and  sometimes  over  the  after-parts  of  the  vessel. 
The  decks  were  dripping  wet  all  the  time,  and 
showers  of  rain  falling  every  half-hour. 

During  the  morning  the  wind  tore  our  jib  to  rib- 
bons, and  we  were  obliged  to  take  in  most  of  the 
sails,  and  drive  on  under  close-reefed  topsails,  and 
reefed  mainsail.  (^To  "reef  a  sail"  is  to  take  in 
about-one  third  of  it;  to  "close-reef"  is  to  take  in 
two-thirds.) 

I  do  not  know  what  our  crew  think  of  their  pas- 
sengers, but  many  sailors  think  that  ladies  and 
clergymen  are  very  unfortunate  people  to  have  on 
shipboard.  We  tried  to  talk  some  in  the  evening, 
but  it  would  not  do,  and  we  turned  in  to  hope  for 
better  days. 

Tuesday,  January  25th.  Gale  still  continued, 
though  not  so  hard,  perhaps,  as  yesterda}'-;  but  still 
severe,  and  the  motion  of  the  ship,  if  possible  more 
unpleasant.  I  could  eat  but  little  at  breakfast,  and 
after  it  was  over,  I  leaned  my  head  against  the 
mizzen-mast,  which  comes  through  the  table  just  aft 
of  my  seat,  and  felt  very  uncomfortable.  The  Bible 
was  lying  just  under  my  face,  and  I  opened  it 
almost  mechanically.  It  opened  at  Job  xiv.,  and  I 
read  that  touching  and  melancholy  passage  Avith  a 
deeper  experience  of  its  truth  than  almost  ever 
before : 

"Man  that  is  born  of  a  woman  is  of  few  da3^s, 
and  full  of  trouble. 

He  Cometh  forth  like  a  flower,  and  is  cut  down : 
he  fleeth  also  as  a  shadow,  and  continueth  not. 

Man  lieth  doAvn  and  riseth  not,  till  the  heavens 
be  no  more.  They  shall  not  wake,  nor  be  raised 
out  of  sleep. 

Thou  preA'ailest  against  him  and  he  passeth,  thou 
changest  his  countenance  and  sendest  him  away." 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  67 

Wednesday,  26th.  A  splendid  day !  After  a  few 
light  showers,  it  cleared  off  gloriously;  the  sea  be- 
came smooth,  and  the  sun  shone  out  pleasantly ;  and 
with  a  pleasant  breeze,  that  soon  dried  up  the 
moisture  of  the  decks  and  rigging,  we  held  on  the 
'^  even  tenor  of  our  way."  We  sat  in  the  sun,  and 
all  felt  decidedly  better.  The  captain  was  out, 
and  seeing  me  reading,  "Two  Years  before  the 
Mast,"  he  said,  "That's  one  of  the  greatest  books 
ever  ^vritten.  It  is  a  real  masterpiece.  There's  a 
great  many  men,  and  officers,  and  captains,  just  as 
they  are  there  described,  though  they  don't  all  like 
to  own  it." 

A  pigeon  or  gull  followed  us  for  several  hours  to- 
day, flying  with  almost  no  exertion.  It  was  as 
large  as  a  duck,  though  longer,  ash-coloured  above, 
and  white  beneath,  with  a  long  bill. 

Took  the  opportunity  of  speaking  to  the  captain 
about  religious  services.  He  was  perfectly  willing 
to  have  service  on  the  Sabbath,  and  seemed  anxious 
to  know  if  we  could  have  singing.  He  said  there 
was  no  objection  to  the  passengers  having  prayers 
as  often  as  they  chose  in  the  after-cabin;  but  when 
I  spoke  of  having  the  men  attend  once  a  day,  (which 
the  mate  recommended,)  he  answered  in  such  a  way, 
that  I  considered  it  prudent  not  to  afibrd  him  the 
o]3portunity  of  giving  a  direct  refusal,  at  least  for 
the  present. 

A  hght  shower  in  the  afternoon  cooled  the  air  a 
little  too  much.  Thermometer  during  the  day 
ranged  from  68°  to  72°  in  the  shade.  The  wind 
has  increased  some,  and  the  vessel  rolls  a  good  deal. 
Saw  a  sail  on  our  stern  to-day,  a  great  way  off, 
which  may  have  been  the  same  one  we  saw  yester- 
day. 

Finished  "  Two  Years  before  the  Mast,"  and  lent 
it  to  the  captain,  who  wants  to  read  it.  Overhauled 
some  of  my  papers,  and  began  to  lay  out  brother 
Owen's  route  to  India.  Read  a  page  of  the  Brother 
Jonathan,  gazed  at  the  deep  blue  sea  for  a  long 


58  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

time,  listened  to  the  canary  bird,  and  talked  with 
]Mr.  B.,  whom  I  find  a  very  pleasant  companion  in- 
deed. Saw  a  gull  flying  about  and  sportmg  in  the 
waA^es.     Its  flight  was 

<'  O'er  the  mountain  wave, 
Its  home  upon  the  deep." 

Yet  methinks  like  the  dove  that  Noah  sent  out  from 
iho  ark,  or  like  the  Christian  pilgrim  in  the  world, 
it  would  here  "find  no  rest  for  the  sole  of  its  foot." 
Saturday  night,  January  29th.  How  many 
thoughts  of  past,  of  distant,  of  high  and  holy  and 
heavenly  things  it  brings !  It  speaks  of  the  Sab- 
bath— of  rest.  But  I  am  tossed  on  the  wide  and 
heaving  sea;  there  is  no  rest  on  earth,  not  till  we 
come  to  the  heavenly  world,  where  "there  is  no 
more  sea."  Now  the  ship  is  rolhng  in  the  waves, 
everything  here  is  moving.  I  am  a  stranger  and  a 
pilgrim  in  the  earth.  I  look  about  in  vain  for  some 
solid,  unmoving  foundation,  but  I  see  none  below 
the  skies.  Upwards,  I  see  the  heavenly  host,  and 
they  appear  fixed.  I  know  that  the  things  of  the 
invisible  heavens  are  firm.  That  city  hath  founda- 
tions.    Its  builder  and  maker  is  God. 

"  Heaven  is  the  Christian  pilgrim's  home, 
His  rest  at  every  stage." 

Our  passengers  have  begun  to  amuse  themselves 
witli  talking  and  planning  about  their  return  home, 
but  I  do  not  join  them  in  this.  Even  now,  my  out- 
ward condition  is  better  than  His,  who  "  had  not 
Avhere  to  lay  his  head;"  and  for  his  sake,  wiUindy 
do  I  "confess  that  I  am  a  stranger  in  the  eartli." 
Good  night;  I  am  pensive,  but  happy.  It  is  now 
near  your  time  for  family  worship;  and  though 
absent  in  body,  in  spirit  I  will  join  with  you.  The 
peace  of  God  keep  you  all! 

Alonday,  January  olst.  Yesterday  was  the  Sab- 
bath; the  sun  rose  clear  and  bright,  and  the  day 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  59 

was  fine,  with  sufficient  wind  just  to  keep  the  sails 
tolerably  full.  The  men  were  all  free  soon  after 
nine  a.  m.,  and  soon  after  ten,  we  met  for  preaching 
in  the  fore-cabin. 

I  took  my  station  by  the  door  of  my  room,  where 
I  could  hold  on  to  the  back  of  the  seat  round  the 
table.  The  two  ladies  sat  on  the  bench  just  before 
me,  and  the  mate  next  to  them,  the  captain  on  a 
chair  at  the  corner  of  the  table,  Mr.  B.  and  Mr.  K. 
on  my  right  hand,  and  the  men  along  the  side  and 
end  of  the  room  opposite  me.  They  were  all  pre- 
sent, I  beheve,  except  the  man  at  the  helm  and  the 
second  mate,  who  had  to  keep  on  the  lookout.  The 
room  was  quite  full.  The  services  were  commenced 
by  reading  2  Kings  v.,  then  followed  pra^^er  and 
singing.  I  set  the  tunes  myself,  and  was  pretty 
loudly  accompanied  b}''  several  of  the  crew,  some 
two  or  three  of  whom  knew  the  tunes,  while  others 
guessed  at  them;  on  the  whole  the  singing  was 
tolerable,  but  I  hope  it  will  iniprove.  After  sing- 
ing the  hymn,  I  preached  on  Luke  xvii.  11 — 19; 
Christ's  healing  the  ten  lepers.  My  hearers  were 
very  attentive  indeed,  especially  one  of  the  men, 
whom  1  had  spoken  to  several  times,  and  whose 
jolly  air  and  hearty  singing  at  the  ropes  had  at- 
tracted my  attention.  I  was,  hoAvever,  a  good  deal 
embarrassed.  My  head  almost  touched  the  ceiling. 
My  audience  was  almost  within  arm's  length;  some 
were  in  fact  so ;  the  room  was  small,  and  not  being 
sufficiently  accustomed  to  the  motion  of  the  vessel, 
I  had  to  hold  on  all  the  time  to  the  back  of  the 
seat  to  keep  my  balance.  Then  by  having  to  lead 
in  the  singing,  there  was  no  time  to  compose  my 
thoughts,  and  I  suppose  1  made  but  blundering 
work  of  it.  After  preaching,  there  was  prayer  and 
singing  again,  and  the  benediction — the  whole  ex- 
ercises taking  about  fifty  minutes.  I  wanted  to 
have  them  as  short  as  possible,  and  not  knowing 
exactly  how  much  time  they  would  take,  this  con- 
tributed a  little  to  embarrass  me.     I  assure  you,  I 


60  MEMOm   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

felt  for  a  while  after  the  services  were  over,  as 
though  I  should  like  to  hide  niyself  from  the  sight 
of  everyhod}^  However,  I  could  not  hut  believe, 
that  I  had  endeavoured  to  do  right ;  and  though  for 
a  while  half  tempted  to  think  that  such  services 
were  of  no  use,  yet  on  the  whole  I  was  glad  that  a 
beginning  had  been  made.  We  shall  probably  do 
better  hereafter.  Soon  after  service,  Mr.  Gillespie 
told  me  that  just  before  service,  he  had  gone  into 
the  forecastle  to  see  if  all  the  men  had  come  for- 
ward. He  found  one  there  who  was  not  quite  ready, 
but  said  he  was  coming.  ^*  Ah,  Mr.  Gillespie,  it  is 
seven  years  since  I  heard  a  prayer."  It  was  the 
same  man  who  appeared  so  attentive. 

Saw  a  cou]3le  of  flying-fish  to-day,  and  thought 
at  first  that  they  were  little  birds ;  one  of  them  flew 
with  an  irregular  flight  more  than  forty  yards  before 
it  touched  the  water.  The  sight  of  them  made  me 
think  of  a  passage  in  Henry  Martyn's  diary,  where 
he  says  that  he  thought  his  own  aspirations  after 
holiness  and  heaven,  were  short  and  low  and  uncer- 
tain, like  the  flight  of  the  flying-fish.  The  sight 
and  the  thought  made  me  condemn  myself. 

Had  prayers  in  the  cabin  at  eight  p.  m.,  and  after- 
wards a  long  talk  with  Mr.  Gillespie  about  the  Wall- 
street  and  Middle  Dutch  churches,  and  about  a  voy- 
age Mr.  G.  made  from  Liverpool  to  New  York  with 
135  steerage  passengers,  several  of  whom  died  on 
the  A^03^age.  He  had  almost  the  whole  care  of  them, 
and  dates  his  first  serious  impressions  to  what  he 
then  witnessed.  Then  we  talked  about  the  dilli- 
culty  of  maintaining  the  life  of  religion  on  ship- 
board, and  in  places  of  trial,  the  danger  of  world- 
lines  s,  &c. 

Friday,  Feb.  4th.  Another  glorious  day.  Up 
and  out  before  the  sun;  saw  him  rise.  My  vocabu- 
lary wants  words  to  express  the  richness  and 
beauty  of  the  clouds 

"  Which  sat  about  the  East, 
Aiul  wantoned  Avith  hihi  scolden  locks." 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTER  M.   LOWRIE.  Gl 

After  tea,  looked  over  a  little  school-book  in 
astronomy,  with  maps,  &c.,  and  concluded  to  try 
some  of  the  constellations ;  was  quite  charmed  with 
my  success,  for  I  made  out  the  whole  constellation 
of  Orion,  and  single  stars  in  four  or  five  others. 
The  ladies,  who  were  promenading  the  decks,  joined 
me,  and  after  showing  them  my  newly  acquired 
knowledge,  we  spoke  of  him  "who  loosed  the  bands 
of  Orion,  and  sent  forth  Mazzaroth  in  his  season." 
I  became  quite  enraptured  with  the  study,  and 
proinise  myself  a  good  deal  of  pleasure  in  pursuit 
of  it.  Do  you  remember  how,  one  night,  as  we 
were  going  to  church,  I  pointed  out  to  you  the 
North  Star,  and  Orion's  belt?  I  have  been" looking 
up  so  long,  that  my  neck  fairly  aches.  How  little 
we  know  of  the  stars!  They  are,  doubtless,  at 
least  that  is  my  own  firm  conviction,  inhabited 
worlds, — all  displaying  the  power,  and  wisdom,  and 
goodness  of  our  Creator.  What  wonderful  and 
varied  displays  of  his  attributes  would  be  seen  by 
one  who  could  visit  them  all!  I  am  inclined  to 
believe — though,  of  course,  it  is  mere  conjecture — 
that  every  one  of  them  is  arranged  in  a  different 
order,  inhabited  by  different  kinds  of  rational  and 
irrational  beings,  with  different  genera  and  species 
of  plants  and  minerals;  aye,  and  different  kinds  of 
things  for  which  we  have  neither  names  nor  concep- 
tions. Who  shall  limit  the  works  of  Him,  whose 
understanding  is  infinite,  and  who  is  wonderful  in 
working  ? 

Monday,  Feb.  7th.  Yesterday  was  a  very  calm, 
delightful  day.  Sufficient  breeze  to  carry  us  on 
from  five  to  seven  miles  an  hour,  and  so  steady, 
that  there  was  very  httle  motion.  Had  service  in 
the  morning,  at  ten  o'clock.  Preached  on  Psalm 
xxxvii.  5;  and  being  less  embarrassed,  I  got  on 
much  more  comfortably  than  on  the  preceding  Sab- 
bath. The  attention  w^as  very  good  indeed.  After 
service  it  was  quite  pleasant  to  look  to  the  forward 
part  of  the  ship.     Tne  forecastle  doors  were  open, 

6 


62  MEilOm   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

and  some  of  the  men  were  lying  in  their  berths  or 
sitting  on  their  chests,  reading.  Others  were  sitting 
on  the  windlass  and  spars,  or  standing  hy  the  sides 
of  the  ship,  reading  or  talking,  all  neatly  dressed, 
and  apparently  all  at  their  ease,  and  very  comfor- 
table. I  think  onr  crew  are  a  very  good-looking 
set  of  men  indeed.  One  of  the  boys  was  sitting 
by  the  ship's  side,  doing  nothing.  The  mate  went 
past  him,  and  as  he  passed,  pulled  out  a  tract  from 
his  pocket,  and  gav^e  it  to  him.  Afternoon  and 
evening  passed  off  pleasantly  and  pretty  quietly. 
The  passengers  were  talking  together  in  the  lower 
cabin,  in  the  evening,  where  they  had  cakes  and 
nuts,  &c.,  and  sent  for  me  to  join  them,  but  I  ex- 
cused myself,  and  retired  to  my  own  room.  It  was 
Monthly  Concert  evening,  and  I  thought  of  the 
many  Monthly  Concerts  I  had  attended, — of  the 
last  one,  and  of  the  work  before  me.  Commenced 
an  essay,  or  address,  or — I  hardly  know  what  yet, 
— but  something  for  Sabbath-schools,  Avhich,  if  it  is 
ever  finished.  Til  try  to  have  published,  provided  I 
think  it  worthy  of  that  honour. 

This  morning  I  mustered  up  courage  enough  to 
climb  up  to  the  main-cross-trees.  You  may  be  sure 
I  held  tight  to  the  ropes,  when  I  had  got  so  high. 
I  was  surprised  to  find  how  small  everything  looked 
on  deck.  The  ship  seemed  no  broader  than  a  com- 
mon row-boat,  and  the  men  on  deck  only  like 
children. 

Saturday,  Feb.  12th.  Trade-wind  still  continues, 
and  we  have  come  over  a  thousand  miles  in  five 
days — pretty  good  saiHng  that.  Calm,  pleasant 
day,  and  rather  warm ;  looked  very  much  like  rain 
for  several  hours,  but  it  has  cleared  off  beautifully, 
and  we  have  the  promise  of  another  pleasant  Sab- 
bath. This  afternoon,  as  I  was  standing  by  the 
gangway,  I  observed  another  kind  of  fish,  the 
"skip-jack."  There  was  a  large  shoal  of  them, 
playing  about  in  the  water,  and  leaping  sometimes 
ten  feet,  though  commonly  not   more  than  three 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  63 

or  four.  I  could  not  observe  the  shape  or  size 
very  distinctly;  they  were  perhaps  as  large  as  a 
shad.  Saw  a  very  large  flock  of  dark-coloured 
birds,  but  they  were  too  far  off  to  be  distinctly 
seen.  Star-gazing  to-night,  and  saw  a  couple  of 
stars  you  never  see  in  the  United  States — Canopus 
and  Acherner.  The  north  star  is  fast  sinking,  and 
we  shall  soon  lose  sight  of  it. 

Saturday  night  again !  The  past  w^eek  has  fled 
away  swiftly  and  pleasantly.  Soon  the  Saturday 
night  of  life  will  come,  and  the  unending  Sabbath 
of  eternity  will  dawn. 

Sabbath,  Feb.  loth.  A  calm,  beautiful,  and  glo- 
rious day.  Quite  clear  all  morning,  and  light  fleecy 
clouds  in  the  after  part  of  the  day,  which  tempered 
the  air.  Preached  at  ten,  a.  m.,  on  2  Cor.  v.  21. 
Audience  very  attentive.  I  stiU  lead  in  singing, 
and  must  say,  it  was  to-day  quite  respectable. 
Sung  the  last  hymn  (we  only  sing  two)  to  Old  Hun- 
dred, and  almost  every  one  joined  in.  Heard  a 
voice  I  had  not  heard  before  singing,  and,  looking 
up,  found  it  was  the  captain,  singing  with  a  good 
deal  of  earnestness.  After  dinner  went  up  to  the 
main-top,  where  I  could  feel  myself  alone,  and, 
sitting  down,  read  and  sang,  and  looked  out  on  the 
blue  sea  for  an  hour.  It  was  good  to  be  there.  I 
was  above  the  cares  and  the  business  of  the  deck. 
A  light  breeze  made  my  station  pleasant,  and  I 
looked  out  on  the  calm  and  gently  heaving  sea, 
where  the  sun  shone  down  with  bright  and  yet  un- 
dazzling  rays.  1  felt  as  a  Christian  sometimes  feels 
when  all  around  is  calm,  and  the  Spirit's  influences, 
like  gentle  breezes,  move  upon  his  soul,  and  the 
favour  of  God,  like  the  sun's  glad  beams,  comforts 
his  heart.  Yet  still  it  was  not  home ;  the  rolling 
sea  w^as  still  there,  and  no  one  could  say  how  soon 
the  calm  might  become  a  storm.  It  was  not  hea- 
ven, it  was  only  a  foretaste  of  the  eternal  rest. 
My  meditations,  however,  were  disturbed  by  the 
sight  of  a  large  fish  making  his  way  after  the  ship* 


64  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

The  sailmaker  said  it  was  j^robably  a  shark,  because 
we  were  now  in  the  '*  shark  country." 

Tuesday,  Feb.  15th.  llain  during  the  night,  and 
quite  a  heavy  shower  in  the  morning.  Caught 
about  100  gallons  for  the  stock,  and  the  men  and 
boys  Avashed  a  good  many  of  their  clothes,  and 
hung  them  about  the  rigging  to  dry.  It  then  fell 
dead  calm,  and  the  ship  lay  like  a  log  on  the  water. 
The  captain  said  it  was  just  the  kind  of  w^eather 
for  sharks,  and  he  got  the  shark-hook  rigged  out, 
and  baited  with  a  piece  of  pork,  and  hung  it  out 
astern.  Very  soon  a  small  shark  showed  himself, 
and  seized  it;  the  line  was  drawn  in,  and  he  was 
quickly  on  deck.  He  floundered  about  at  a  great 
rate,  but  was  soon  hauled  to  the  middle  of  the 
vessel,  and  a  handspike  thrust  down  his  throat;  he 
then  received  several  blows  on  the  back  of  the  head 
w^ith  a  heavy  iron  hammer,  and  lay  quite  stiU.  Al- 
though he  was  dead,  and  the  second  mate  opened 
him,  took  out  all  the  entrails,  and  washed  the  inside 
of  his  body — would  you  believe  it? — after  all  this, 
he  floundered  about,  and  beat  the  deck  violently 
with  his  tail,  and  looked  so  savage,  that  it  was  found 
necessary  to  thrust  the  handspike  down  his  mouth 
again.  'He  very  soon  became  quiet,  and  we  looked 
at  him.  He  was  five  feet  four  inches  from  the  nose 
to  the  end  of  tail;  fore  fins,  fifteen  inches  long; 
back  fin,  nine  inches  ;  tail,  eighteen  inches :  quite  a 
young  one.  He  had  evidently  been  feeding  pretty 
heartily,  because  in  his  stomach  we  found  several 
large  pieces  of  squid,  a  fish  that  is  said  to  grow  to 
as  large  a  size  as  any  in  the  ocean.  There  were  a 
couple  of  little  fishes  sAvimming  about  him  and  cUng- 
ing  to  his  back,  while  in  the  water,  and  one  of  them 
clung  so  tight,  that  lie  came  up  on  deck  with  him. 
It  was  a  sucker,  Avhicli  I  have  in  spirits,  and  Avill 
try  to  send  home. 

In  the  afternoon  the  mate  caught  a  bonito,  a  fish 
about  two  feet  long,  and  perhaps  six  inches  in  di- 
ameter in  the  midclle.     lie  was  perfectly  round  in 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  65 

every  part  from  the  head  to  the  tail;  on  the  hack 
he  was  of  a  most  beautiful  purple,  and  the  belly 
was  white  and  golden  yellow  in  streaks,  the  colours 
gradually  mingling  with  red.  Altogether  I  do  not 
wonder  that  the  Portuguese  called  him  bonito,  the 
beautiful.  The  fins  on  the  back  and  side  fold  up 
like  a  fan,  and  can  be  laid  so  close  to  the  body  that 
you  may  pass  your  hand  over  them  without  feeling 
them.  Its  great  peculiarity,  however,  consists  in 
the  heart,  which  is  double,  the  largest  part  being 
red  and  the  other  white.  The  abdominal  cavity  is 
very  small,  and  the  fish  is  almost  a  solid  mass  of 
flesh.  We  had  part  of  it  cooked^  and  it  formed  a 
not  unpalatable  dish. 

Thursday,  Feb.  17th.  To-day  I  paid  a  visit  aloft, 
and  went  out  to  the  end  of  the  main-top-gallant- 
yard,  which  is  considerabl}^  higher  than  the  cross- 
trees  ;  but  the  reason  I  did  it  was,  I  found  they  had 
fixed  a  ladder  from  the  cross-trees  to  the  royal-mast, 
so  that  there  was  no  difficulty.  Being  now  used  to 
being  aloft,  I  sat  on  the  yard-arm  for  some  time  and 
enjo3^ed  the  prospect.  It  is  hke  being  at  the  top 
of  a  steeple.  I  went  up  again  by  moonlight,  and 
the  view  was  very  beautiful,  even  sublime. 

We  crossed  the  line  sometime  last  night,  and 
were  at  twelve  m.  in  lat.  27^  south.  That  is  a  very 
good  passage.  It  was  just  four  weeks  yesterday 
since  leaving  New  York,  and  four  weeks  to-day 
since  leaving  Sandy  Hook.  This  is  one  of  the  great 
divisions  of  our  voyage.  We  shall  now  begin  to 
ask  how  long  it  will  be  before  we  pass  the  Cape, 
and  then,  how  long  to  the  straits  of  Sunda. 

Friday,  Feb.  18th.  Took  the  south-east  trade- 
wind,  about  four  o'clock  this  morning,  and  we  are 
now  moving  off  gaily  in  a  south-west  course.  We 
shall  run  down  now  towards  South  America. 

This  is  my  birth-day.     Another  mile-stone  in  the 

journey  of  my  fife  is  past.     I  have   come  by  a 

smooth  road  so  far,  and  it  does  not  seem  long;  but 

I  cannot  tell  what  my  road  shaU  be  hereaftd',  nor 

6* 


66  MEMOIR   OF  WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

how  long.  I  often  feel,  when  I  look  back,  as  Milton 
did  on  a  similar  occasion. 

•<  My  hasting  days  fly  on  with  full  career, 
But  my  late  spring  no  bud  or  blossom  shoTveth." 

But  let  them  fly— 

<'  If  I  have  grace  to  use  them  so, 
As  ever  in  my  great  Taskmaster's  eye." 

Aye — and  let  them  speed  their  flight.  I  would 
not  be  impatient,  I  would  not  desert  my  post,  how- 
ever incompetent  to  fill  it,  nor  however  great  its 
dangers,  till  my  discharge  comes.  But  if  they 
hasten  on, 

*'  They'll  waft  me  sooner  o'er 
This  life's  tempestuous  sea, 
Then  I  shall  reach  the  peaceful  shore 
Of  blest  eternity." 

This  has  been  a  very  pleasant  day;  too  warm  to  be 
in  the  sun,  but  in  the  upper  cabin  we  had  a  cool 
breeze  all  day,  and  the  awning  and  sails  keep  the 
sun  from  beating  on  the  roof.  A  shoal  of  porpoises 
were  playing  under  the  bows  of  the  vessel  for  some 
time,  but  they  were  "old  fellows,"  and  kept  out  of 
the  harpoon's  way.  In  the  evening,  saw  the  South- 
ern Cross  for  the  first  time.  It  has  not  been  visible 
before,  until  after  I  had  gone  to  bed.  I  do  not 
think,  lioAvever,  tliat  any  of  the  constellations  I  have 
seen  are  as  spkmdid  as  that  of  Orion. 

Sabbath,  Feb.  20th.  A  very  dehghtful  day,  ex- 
cept tliat  Ave  are  becalmed  most  of  the  day.  How- 
ever, tliat  made  it  all  the  pleasanter  for  me,  on  ac- 
count of  its  being  the  Sabbath,  and  thereby  giving 
us  a  quiet  time.  Preached  on  Ephesians  v.  16, 
"Ivedeoming  the  time," — a  duty  greatly  neglected 
on  shipboard.  In  the  afternoon  we  did  see  a  sail, 
homeward  bound,  but  ten  or  twelve  miles  oif,  and 
the  breeze  so  fijiht,  that  there  was  no  chance  of  our 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  67 

speaking  her.  The  captain  was  greatly  disappointed. 
He  came  siwsLj  from  home  almo'st  sick,  and  is  very 
anxious  to  write  to  his  wife.  He  is  a  very  kind- 
hearted  man,  and  often  speaks  of  his  family  with 
very  great  affection. 

Om'  sunsets  now  are  very  splendid.  The  sky  is 
quite  as  beautiful  as  I  ever  saw  it  at  Princeton; 
and  if  there  were  only  the  green  fields  and  waving 
forests  to  receive  the  last  rays  of  light,  the  pros- 
pect would  be  quite  as  fine  as  it  commonly  is  on 
land.  Captain  Lovett  is  a  great  admirer  of  such 
scenes.  After  tea,  I  sat  out  at  the  stern  alone,  and 
sang  over  a  number  of  our  old  favourite  tunes.  No 
one  here  cares  much  about  music;  and  I  generally 
go  by  myself  when  I  wish  to  sing;  but  in  a  ship, 
with  so  many  around,  it  is  impossible  to  be  all  alone. 

Thursday,  Feb.  24th.  A  defio^htful,  pleasant  day. 
Captain  "never  knew  so  much  fine  weather  at  once 
on  an  outward-bound  voyage."  Having  finished 
Neal's  History  of  the  Puritans,  I  commenced  Ban- 
croft, which  is  quite  a  relief.  The  evenings  are  so 
beautiful,  and  the  moon  shines  with  such  brightness, 
that  I  have  spent  several  of  the  past  evenings  on 
deck;  sometimes  gazing  on  the  evening  sky,  and 
suffering  all  kinds  of  calm  imaginations  to  float 
through  the  mind,  remembering  and  repeating  scraps 
of  poetry,  hke  this — 

<'  How  many  days  with  mute  adieu, 

Have  gone  down  yon  untrodden  sky, 
And  still  it  looks  as  clear  and  blue 
As  when  it  first  was  hung  on  high ;" 

sometimes  learning  the  names  of  different  stars,  and 
comparing  their  colours  and  positions.  You  know 
what  the  Apostle  says — "one  star  differeth  from 
another  star  in  glory."  I  often  wonder  I  never  ob- 
served that  before,  for  the  glory  of  Sirius,  with  its 
more  than  lunar  brightness,  dilters  widely  from  the 
red  blaze  of  Arcturus;  and  Canopus  and  Capella, 
and  Regulus  and  Aldebaran,  have  colours  that  the 


68  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

vocabulary  of  the  earth  can  hardly  name.  Truly 
the  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God.  At  other 
times  I  walk  on  deck,  and  think  of  the  past,  and 
the  present,  and  the  future.  Sunshine  and  showers, 
and  smiles  and  tears,  and  lofty  oaks  and  little 
flowers,  mountains  and  valleys,  and  rich  and  poor, 
— where  was  the  one  ever  seen,  that  the  other  was 
not  near? 

Had  a  long  talk  with  the  sailmaker  to-night.  He 
is  by  birth  a  Swede,  but  left  Sweden  at  the  age  of 
four  years;  has  been  at  sea  twenty-eight  years; 
shipwrecked  three  or  four  times;  once,  off  Cape 
Horn ;  once,  seven  days  without  a  mouthful  of  food ; 
another  time,  seventeen  days  on  so  short  an  allow- 
ance, that  at  the  end  of  that  time  hardly  one  of  the 
crew  could  Avalk ;  once,  nearly  dead  from  an  attack  of 
fever  caused  by  giving  up  tobacco,  the  use  of  which 
he  was  obliged  to  resume.  He  seems  to  be  a  serious 
sort  of  a  man ;  has  a  number  of  pious  phrases,  and 
said  that,  ''he  could  spend  two  Sundays  as  easily 
as  one;  always  plenty  to  do  on  Sunday," — mean- 
ing that  the  Sabbath  never  hung  heavy  on  his  hands. 
He  says  he  reads  his  Bible  a  great  deal,  but  often 
wishes  he  could  get  a  great  many  parts  of  it  ex- 
plained, "which  worry  and  bother"  him.  This  was 
just  what  I  wanted,  and  it  was  in  fact  the  reason  why 
I  commenced  talking  w^ith  him,  that  I  might  propose 
the  formation  of  a  Bible  class.  I  accordingly  did 
so,  and  he  seemed  very  glad,  and  said  he  would  try 
and  get  some  more  to  join  him,  and  we  shall  prob- 
ably make  a  commencement  next  Sabbath. 

Monday,  Feb.  28th.  Fine  weather  still  continues. 
On  Saturday,  saw  a  "  Portuguese  man-of-war,"  i.  e.  a 
little  semi-transparent  bubble,  of  a  pale  rose  colour, 
floating  on  the  water.  It  is  a  sea  animal  substance ; 
is  something  like  jelly.  In  fine  weather,  a  great 
many  are  occasionally  seen  about  ships.  They  are 
of  a  triangular  pyramidal  form,  and  are  very  pretty 
little  things.  The  captain  prophesied  that  we  should 
see  laud  on  Sunday,  and  also  a  sail.     Sunday  came 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  69 

— a  fine  clay.  "We  always  have  fine  weather  on 
Sunday."  Preached  m  the  morning  on  the  Messi- 
anic prophecies  of  Genesis ;  attention  not  so  good  as 
heretofore,  and  I  was  afterwards  a  good  deal  disap- 
pointed w^hen  the  saihiiaker  told  me  that  he  had 
spoken  to  several  of  the  men  about  forming  a  Bible 
class,  but  they  were  ashamed  to  be  seen  in  such  an 
employment;  several  "would  like  to,  but  if  they 
did  aU  the  rest  would  be  at  them."  However,  I 
have  not  given  up  hope  yet.  We  had  hardly  got 
through  with  the  service  m  the  morning,  when  the 
second  mate,  wdiose  look-out  it  was,  said  that  land 
was  in  sight.  It  was  the  Island  of  Trinidad,  and 
the  rocks  of  Martin  Yas— Lat.  20°  28^  S.  Long. 
20°  50^  W.  When  we  saw  them  first,  they  were 
twenty  or  thirty  miles  off;  but  we  afterwards,  in 
the  course  of  the  afternoon,  passed  within  ten  or 
twelve  miles  of  the  rocks  of  Martin  Vas. 

Wednesday,  March  2d.  Rain  in  the  morning,  and 
a  much  pleasanter  day.  Progress  slow.  Have 
already  lost  all  the  comparative  advantages  of  our 
speedy  passage  to  the  line,  and  the  officers  would 
now  be  willing  to  compound  for  ninety  days  to 
Angier,  or  even  more. 

After  prayers  I  went  out  to  gaze  at  the  stars, 
paying  particular  attention  to  those  about  the  south 
pole.  I  think  that  this  is  the  most  splendid  part 
of  the  heavens ;  or  at  least,  that  it  will  very  well 
compare  with  that  part  of  which  the  constellation 
Orion  is  the  centre.  These  stars  are  all  seen  at  one 
view.  The  Southern  Cross  is  a  very  beautiful  ob- 
ject. It  is  more  like  a  boy's  kite,  however.  And 
the  Southern  Triangle  is  also  very  conspicuous,  1)0- 
cause  there  are  almost  no  other  stars  near  it.  The 
most  remarkable,  hoAvever,  of  all  these  stars,  is 
Bungula.  It  changes  colour  every  two  or  thi^ee 
minutes,  from  a  bright  red  to  a  beautiful  sea-green, 
and  is  constantly  tAvinkling.  Looking  at  it  through 
the  captain's  spy-glass,  it  showed  the  red  and  green 
colours  combined.     The  captain  says  he  can  see 


70  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

only  the  twinkling,  but  Mr.  B.,  the  mate,  and  my- 
self, have  all  remarked  the  alternations  of  red  and 
green.  These  stars,  however,  are  not  the  only 
wonders  of  this  part  of  the  heavens. 

In  clear  nights  w^hen  the  moon  is  not  shining,  we 
see  also  the  Magellan  clouds.  These  are  three  in 
number,  in  the  Ibrm  of  the  letter  V. 


A,  at  the  vertex  of  the  letter,  is  situated  between 
Acrux  and  Beta  in  the  cross.  It  is  black,  but  right 
in  the  middle  is  a  single  star  or  luminous  opening, 
that  may  be  seen  with  the  naked  eye,  and,  exam- 
ined through  the  telescope,  is  quite  bright.  B,  is 
a  large  white  cloud,  but  no  stars  are  seen  in  it,  at 
least  not  with  the  naked  eye;  and  C  is  about  one 
third  as  large.  B  and  C  are  about  as  bright  as  the 
milky-Avay. 

After  gazing  at  these  Avonderful  objects,  I  turned 
the  spy-glass  to  look  at  the  Pleiades.  One  has  no 
idea  on  looking  at  tliem  with  the  naked  eye,  of  the 
number  and  beauty  of  the  stars  in  the  cluster,  as 
seen  through  a  spy-glass. 

Thursday,  March  3d.  A  little  rain  and  wind  in 
the  morning;  a  dead  calm  from  ten  A.  m.  till  after 
sunset;  a  sea  as  smooth  as  glass,  all  the  wdiile; 
showers  after  dark,  and  a  light  wind  afterwards, 
wdiich  continued  all  the  night,  w^ere  the  external 
appearances  of  this  day.    A  solitary  porpoise  showed 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  71 

himself  under  the  bows  of  the  boat,  but  after  play- 
ing about  a  little,  as  if  in  mockery  of  our  motion- 
less condition,  he  swam  away.  The  motions  of  the 
porpoise  are  exceedingly  rapid,  and  when  the  ship 
IS  going  ten  miles  an  hour,  they  will  frequently  col- 
lect together  and  sport  m  the  foam  directly  under- 
neath her  bows. 

Saturday,  March  5th.  The  men  were  at  work  on 
the  rigging  all  day  yesterday  and  to-day,  and  their 
long-drawn  and  strange  cries,  the  development  of 
the  muscles  of  their  limbs  as  they  pulled  and  hauled 
about  the  rigging,  and  the  numerous  knots  and  splices 
and  contrivances  to  secure  the  rigging,  have  af- 
forded me  a  good  deal  of  instructive  amusement. 
A  sail  has  been  in  sight  all  day ;  an  EngHsh  top-sail 
schooner,  going  the  same  course  with  ourselves,  but 
not  so  fast;  she  has  fallen  astern. 

It  seems  strange  how  the  time  passes  away.  I 
have  never  on  land  found  it  fly  more  swiftly  than 
it  has  done  this  voyage.  Sabbath  comes  and  Mon- 
day, and,  almost  before  I  know  it,  Saturday  night 
is  back  again.  My  employments  still  occup}^  all 
my  time.  I  commonly  prepare  a  sermon  every 
week;  and  as  I  meet  the  ladies  in  a  Bible  class  on 
Sabbath  afternoon  and  Wednesday  morning,  that 
also  takes  time.  I  had  hoped  to  have  a  class  formed 
among  the  men,  but  am  afraid  I  shall  not  succeed. 
They  seem  ashamed  to  be  seen  engaged  in  such 
an  employment.  I  stand  very  much  alone  as  to 
religious  exercises;  and  the  worst  of  it  all  is,  that 
though  I  am  engaged  in  the  business,  I  have  not 
the  spuit  of  Paul.  I  look  forward  with  much  fear 
at  times  to  this  Chinese  mission.  It  hardly  seems 
possible,  that  I  should  do  anything  in  less  than 
twenty  or  thirty  years ;  and  yet  I  have  never  seri- 
ously allowed  myself  to  anticipate  that  length  of 
life.  But  "  sufticient  unto  the  day  is  the  evil  there- 
of." I  do  not  regret  in  the  least  the  course  I  have 
taken.  I  have  never  wished  since  I  left  home,  that 
my  face  were  turned  back  to  the  land  of  my  fathers. 


72  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

Not  that  I  have  forgotten  you,  not  that  I  do  not 
prize  its  privileges.  I  feel  most  sensibly  even  here, 
that  I  should  rejoice  to  go  up  once  more  with  the 
great  congregation  to  the  house  of  God.  I  feel 
most  deeply  that  there  is  an  influence  in  the  society 
of  Christians  to  sustain  the  man  of  God,  which  he 
is  not  aware  of,  till  removed  from  it.  But  when  I 
look  back  on  my  short  life,  smooth  and  unruffled  and 
unvaried  by  any  striking  occurrence  as  it  may  seem 
to  others  to  have  been,  I  can  mark  the  way  in  which 
I  have  been  led  along  by  an  unseen  hand,  severely 
tried  and  almost  bowed  to  the  earth,  when  others 
thought  me  gay  and  unconcerned.  Yet  upheld  and 
impelled  onward,  time  after  time,  when  the  indo- 
lence or  the  quietness  of  my  own  temper  would 
have  kept  me  back,  I  can  say,  "  Thus  far  hath  the 
Lord  helped  me;"  and  surely  I  can  say,  "Not  unto 
me,  but  to  thy  name  give  the  glory."  If  my  Mas- 
ter has  so  long  led  me  and  fed  me  m  the  wilderness, 
if  he  has  so  long  guided  me  on  the  voyage  of  life, 
and  has  showed  me  so  man}^  favours  hitherto,  he 
will  surely  still  keep  me  and  bring  me  at  length  to 
my  "desired  haven."  If  I  might  but  give  some 
proof  that  the  religion  I  profess  is  not  in  vain,  if  I 
might  but  glorify  in  some  feeble  degree  the  Saviour 
who  has  so  graciously  redeemed  me,  then  I  could 
rejoice  and  die.  Yet  perhaps  it  is  best  for  me  to 
see  little  fruit  of  my  labours  in  my  lifetime,  that  I 
may  not  depend  on  anything  short  of  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ  Jesus.  It  would  be  dangerous  for 
me  to  be  looked  up  to  as  some  great  one.  "  The 
Lord  reigneth — let  the  earth  rejoice."  It  is  well 
that  he  chooses  our  lot,  and  appoints  us  our  work. 
My  life  has  not  been  long,  but  it  has  been  amply 
long  enough  to  show  me  that  I  should  fail  most  wo- 
fuUy,  if  I  had  the  sole  care  of  my  own  course. 

ilonday,  JNLu'ch  7th.  Yesterday  was  a  beautiful 
day,  and  my  uiind  was  at  peace.  I  preached  on 
Phil.  ii.  6 — 11,  with  more  ease  and  fluency,  and 
was  listened  to  with  more  attention,  than  at  any 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  73 

time  since  coming  on  board;  and  when  the  evening 
shades  came  over  the  sea,  I  was  happy  still.  During 
the  day  I  brought  out  a  copy  ot  the  Pilgrim's 
Progress,  and  laid  it  on  the  table.  In  a  very  short 
time  Mr.  B.  was  reading  it  very  busily,  and  when 
he  laid  it  down,  the  captain  took  it  up.  "  The  Pil- 
grim's Progress!"  said  he,  "I  read  this  a  long  time 
ago ;  I  think  I  would  like  to  read  it  again."  He 
commenced  right  away,  and  has  been  reading  at  it 
very  busily  since.  He  said  this  evening  that  he 
liked  his  book  very  much.  Yesterday  evening  the 
sunset  was  very  beautiful.  I  would  try  and  de- 
scribe it,  but  can  give  you  no  adequate  idea  of  it. 
You  will  perhaps  wonder  that  I  write  so  much  about 
the  sky  and  stars,  but  except  in  our  own  little 
w^orld  on  board  there  is  nothing  but  sea  and  sky  to 
write  about. 

I  went  up  to  the  cross-trees  to  look  out  on  the 
ocean,  and  the  scene  was  indescribably  grand.  For 
several  miles  all  around,  the  sea  was  covered  with 
large  waves,  each  wave  breaking  into  masses  of  foam 
many  yards  in  extent,  and  the  noise  of  the  winds 
and  waves  together  made  it  impossible  for  me  to 
hear  Mr.  B.,  who  called  to  me  to  "go  up  higher." 
The  sun  was  shining  almost  all  day,  which  added 
greatly  to  the  splendor  of  the  scene.  Several  alba- 
trosses have  been  flying  about  the  ship,  and,  though 
she  goes  eight  or  ten  miles  an  hour,  they  make 
nothing  whatever  of  flying  around  her,  sailing  ofl"  a 
mile  or  two  on  each  side  and  astern,  and  then  coming 
up  again.  It  is  wonderful  with  w^hat  ease  they  fly. 
They  will  go  a  mile  without  any  apparent  motion  of 
their  wings,  and  that  too  in  the  face  of  a  gale,  that 
sent  us  ploughing  up  the  waves  at  the  rate  of  ten 
or  eleven  miles  an  hour.  In  fact  they  fly  better 
wdien  there  is  a  gale  than  in  a  calm.  It  is  very 
hard  for  them  to  rise  off  the  water,  unless  there  is 
some  wind  going,  but  if  there  is  any  wind,  they 
turn  their  heads  to  it,  and  are  speedily  in  the  air. 
They  will  skim  over  the  water  when  it  is  rough  with 


74  MEMOIR   OP   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

waves  six  or  eight  feet  high,  and  never  wet  a  feather. 
The  captain  says  they  have  several  joints  in  their 
wings,  (which  are  prodigiously  long,)  and  when  the 
wind  is  strong,  thev  "take  in  a  reef  and  shorten 
sail."  I  used  to  think  they  were  all  of  one  size 
and  colour,  but  they  are  not.  One  that  I  saw  was 
of  "  the  first  magnitude," — wings  extending  ten  feet 
or  more.  There  are  others  of  the  second,  third,  and 
fourth  magnitudes.  They  do  not  appear,  however, 
nearly  so  large  when  seen  flying  as  when  on  deck. 
Some  are  white,  some  are  dusky  brown,  some  are 
brown  on  the  backs  of  the  wings  and  white  on  the 
body  above  and  beneath,  and  on  the  lower  part  of 
the  wings.  Some  have  a  dark  belt  or  ring  round 
the  neck,  and  soine  are  somewhat  mottled.  I  have 
not  seen  any  other  varieties  of  colour.  One  old 
brown  fellow  flew  so  close  to  the  ship's  stern,  that 
I  could  see  the  white  of  his  eyes. 

Monday,  March  14th.  Preached  yesterday  on 
Phil.  iii.  1 — 11.  But  it  being  quite  a  calm,  the 
swell  caused  the  ship  to  roll  so  much,  and  the  rudder 
creaked  so  constantly,  as  it  always  does  in  a  calm, 
that  I  had  not  much  satisfaction  in  the  exercises. 
Bible  class  as  usual.  Mr.  B.  ahvays  attends,  though 
he  takes  no  active  part.  I  find  this  quite  an  inter- 
esting and  profitable  service. 

The  weather,  after  being  very  cold  for  three  or 
four  days,  began  to  moderate  yesterday  morning, 
and  now  is  very  comfortable.  The  wind  is  from 
the  north;  which  in  this  part  of  the  world  is  our 
warm  wind.  I  think  the  sunsets  in  this  part  of  this 
hemisphere  are  difierent  from  those  in  the  United 
States,  but  I  have  not  yet  observed  them  sufficiently 
to  state  wherein  that  difierence  consists.  It  would 
be  endless  to  describe  every  sunset,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  impossibility  of  giving  you  any  idea  of  sights 
which  I  can  find  no  words  in  any  language  I  know 
to  describe. 

It  is  just  eight  weeks  to-day  since  leaving  New 
York.     I  hardly  feel  as  if  I  ought  to  say, 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  75 

leaving  home^'  because  it  seems  as  if  I  had  no  right 
to  say  "home."  Psa.  cxix.  19. 

Yesterday  evening  as  I  was  looking  up  at  the 
stars,  one  of  the  sailors,  a  young  man  of  very 
intelligent  countenance  and  pleasing  manner,  with 
whom  I  had  exchanged  a  few  words  several  times 
before,  came  up  to  me  and  began  to  speak  of  the 
stars;  then  of  the  delight  one  finds  in  knowledge. 
This  led  me  to  remark,  what  a  proof  that  was  of 
the  immortahty  of  the  soul,  that  it  was  constantly 
expanding  in  capacity.  He  then  asked  me  in  a  very 
serious  manner,  what  I  thought  of  the  question, 
"Are  any  of  the  heathen  saved  who  never  heard  of 
Christ?"  I  told  him  I  thought  not, — speaking  of 
adult  heathen;  and  mentioned  several  passages  in 
Romans,  that  induced  me  to  think  as  I  did.  This 
led  hun  to  say,  that  he  had  been  in  the  habit  of  read- 
hig  the  Bible  every  day  on  this  voyage,  but  he  found 
a  great  many  things  he  could  not  make  out  or  un- 
derstand. I  offered  him  any  assistance  in  my  power, 
for  which  he  seemed  very  grateful,  and  said  he  would 
avail  himself  of  it.  He  then  said,  "What  is  it  to 
be  religious?  A  young  lady  asked  me  when  in 
New  York  last  time — '  Are  you  religious  ?'  I  said 
'  Of  course  I  am.  I  beheve  in  Christ, — that  he  is 
the  Son  of  God, — that  he  did  live  on  the  earth,  and 
that  he  died  to  save  men's  souls' — was  I  right  in 
saying  I  am  religious  ?'  "  I  told  him  that  what  he 
believed  was  not  all  that  was  necessary;  that  many 
bad  men,  and  even  the  devils,  could  say  they  be- 
lieved that  much.  "  That's  true,"  said  he,  with  a 
good  deal  of  emphasis.  I  then  went  on  to  explain 
what  true  faith  was,  but  much  to  my  regret  the 
watch  was  soon  changed  and  he  had  to  leave  me. 
I  hope  to  see  him  again,  however,  before  long.  I 
could  not  help  thinkmg  at  the  time,  how  little  one 
can  tell  of  what  is  passing  in  the  minds  of  others. 
A  few  weeks  ago,  as  I  was  thinking  over  the  char- 
acter of  the  men  on  board,  I  had  set  it  down  in  my 
mind;  that  this  young  man  would  be  the  least  likely 


76  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

to  think  of  religion  of  almost  all  on  board.  There 
seemed  to  be  a  sort  of  "  don't  care  about  it"  air  in 
him.  I  regret  that  I  have  very  few  opportunities 
of  much  intercourse  with  the  men.  There  are 
almost  always  several  of  them  together.  Indeed  I 
scarcely  ever  see  one  alone,  except  the  man  at  the 
wheel ;  and  it  is  against  the  rules  to  talk  with  him : 
consequently  I  have  few  means  of  influencing  them 
except  on  Ihe  Sabbath.  The  ship  is  so  well  sup- 
plied with  tracts,  through  Mr.  Gillespie's  care,  that 
I  find  but  little  use  for  mine. 

Sabbath,  March  20th.  A  fair  pleasant  day  to 
commence  with,  but  soon  clouded  over.  Preached 
on  2  Tim.  iii.  16;  but  as  there  was  some  wind,  and 
a  heavy  sea,  which  there  is  constantly  here,  the  miz- 
zen-mast  creaked  dreadfully,  and  I  had  Httle  satis- 
faction in  the  services.  Besides,  I  saw  it  was  grow- 
ing darker,  and  the  men  were  looking  out  occasion- 
ally, as  if  a  squall  were  coming.  The  services  were 
no  sooner  over  than  they  were  called  to  the  ropes  to 
take  in  some  of  the  sails.  So  we  had  it,  showers  and 
sunshine,  the  rest  of  the  day.  About  9  a.  m.  the 
breeze  freshened,  so  that  we  went  on  ten  miles  an 
hour.  This  has  continued  till  the  present  time,  Mon- 
day, p.  M.  About  dark,  things  looked  so  squally, 
that  it  was  thought  necessary  to  send  down  the 
main  royal-yard — the  fore  and  mizzen-ro3^als  had 
been  sent  down  several  da3^s  ago — and  we  had  showers 
and  squalls  till  I  went  to  bed,  after  ten  p.  m.  Going 
out  about  seven  a.  m.,  I  found  that  the  greater  part 
of  the  sails  Avere  furled,  and  we  were  driving  on  under 
close-reefed  topsails.  The  ship  looked  very  bare  with 
so  many  of  her  sails  taken  in,  and  as  the  sea  was 
high,  she  rolled  more  than  I  ever  knew  her  to  do 
before.  The  wind  whistled  through  the  rigging,  and 
our  ship  dashed  on  like  a  frightened  bird ;  but  every- 
thing IS  snug  and  secure,  and  as  far  as  we  can  see, 
there  is  no  reason  for  alarm.  Several  little  birds 
are  flying  about,  and  apparently  enjoying  the  com- 
motion of  the  water.     As  I  looked  at  them^  several 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  77 

times  to-day,  I  thought  of  the  words  of  our  Saviour, 
"  one  of  them  shall  not  fall  on  the  ground  without 
your  Father.  Fear  not  therefore ;  ye  are  of  more 
value  than  many  sparrows."  It  is  pleasant  to  be 
thus  reminded  of  the  presence  of  our  all-gracious 
God. 

Tuesday,  March  22nd.  The  waves  were  even 
higher  than  yesterday,  and  were  much  broken,  so 
that  to  look  out  astern,  or  off  from  the  side  of  the 
ship,  there  seemed  to  be  a  large  number  of  rocky 
hills  in  the  sea,  and  the  ship  was  making  her  way 
over  and  between  them.  I  have  seen  nothing  so 
grand  since  the  voyage  commenced.  The  waves 
would  mount  up  twenty  feet  or  more,  and  burst 
into  a  wide  sheet  of  foam;  while  still  further  off,  the 
white  foaming  tops  of  others  would  lift  themselves 
up  in  the  horizon,  and  the  constant  dashing  and 
roaring  of  the  waves  combined  together  to  fill  the 
mind  with  exalted  ideas  of  Him,  who  holds  the 
waters  in  the  hollow  of  his  hands,  and  stilleth 
the  noise  of  their  waves.  "An  undevout  astronomer 
is  mad,"  but  surely  a  careless  sailor  is  worse :  with 
the  tokens  of  God's  power  and  presence  everywhere 
around  him,  one  would  think  he  could  not  move  a 
muscle  without  thinking  of  his  Maker  and  Preserver. 
Yet  aJas !  he  does  not  like  to  retain  God  in  his 
knowledge.  But  though  the  scene  was  grand,  it 
was  not  very  comfortable  on  board.  Such  constant 
rolling  and  tossing  and  pitching  of  the  ship,  made 
it  almost  impossible  to  study;  and  it  was  very 
fatiguing  either  to  sit,  stand,  or  walk.  To  lie  down 
was  useless,  unless  one  was  bolstered  up  on  both 
sides. 

I  think  the  sailing  of  the  albatross  is  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  sights  I  have  ever  seen,  and  when  se- 
veral of  them  are  together,  it  is  really  grand.  The 
other  day  I  saw  eight  of  the  largest  size  close  together, 
and  they  flew  up  and  down,  and  one  way  and  the 
other,  and  in  circles,  and  crossed  each  other's  paths 
so  rapidly,  that  the  eye  could  hardly  follow  them  ia 


78  MEMOIR    OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

their  flight.  They  move  with  such  perfect  ease,  nnd 
have  such  complete  command  over  their  motions — 
at  one  time  darting  off  like  an  arrow  from  a  bow  full 
bent,  then  slowly  rising  in  the  air  and  floating  almost 
motionless  in  the  sky,  then  careering  round  the  ship 
when  at  her  full  speed,  as  if  contemning  her  compar- 
ative sluggishness, — I  have  watched  them  by  the 
hour.  The  beauty  of  their  motions  amply  compen- 
sates for  what  may  be  called  the  ungracefulness  of 
their  bodies.  I  do  not  think  their  shape  handsome, 
though,  doubtless,  it  is  the  best  for  their  modes  of 
life.  How  pleasant  it  is  for  the  Christian  to  think, 
when  he  looks  at  these  birds,  that  they  are  not 
beings  in  which  he  need  feel  no  interest;  they  are 
made  by  his  best  Friend,  and  he  sees  in  them  new 
proofs  of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God.  It  is 
transporting  to  be  able  to  say,  "My  Father  made 
them  all." 

Saturday,  26th.  Last  night  we  had  a  strong  wind, 
which  kept  the  ship  steady.  This  afternoon  the 
wind  gently  died  away;  for  an  hour  we  had  a  per- 
fect calm.  The  ocean,  however,  even  in  the  most 
perfect  calms,  is  never  still.  The  surface  may  be- 
come glassy,  but  there  is  a  constant  heaving;  and 
commonl}^  in  calms,  we  see  what  Edwards  calls 
"continual,  infinitely  various,  successive  changes  of 
unevenness  on  the  surface  of  the  water."  The  sun 
is  setting  in  a  cloudy  sky,  and  we  shall  probably 
have  a  gale  in  a  very  short  time. 

Tuesday,  April  '5th.  Strong  breeze  and  very 
heavy  swell.  The  sea  is  "troubled,  and  it  cannot 
rest,"  but  the  sun  is  shining  down  brightly,  and  we 
speed  on  our  way  across  the  foaming  waves.  A 
shoal  of  porpoises  were  playing  about  the  ship  this 
afternoon.  The  vessel  was  going  nine  miles  an 
hour,  and  dashing  the  foam  away  in  immense 
volumes,  but  they  played  about  under  her  bows  and 
in  the  foam,  as  if  she  were  at  anchor.  The  mates 
tried  to  harpoon  some  of  them,  but  did  not  succeed. 
The  harpoon  went  into  one  of  them^  and  he  was 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 


79 


hauled  several  feet  out  of  water,  but  the  iron  did 
not  hold,  and  he  got  off.  Sailors  say  the  porpoises 
play  about  that  way  before  a  gale  of  wind.  Saw 
also  an  albatross  sailing  up  very  high  in  the  air; 
another  sign.  Quite  a  flock  of  albatrosses  showed 
themselves  a  little  after  sunset.  I  saw  seven  of 
the  largest  size  flying  close  together;  but  it  was  too 
cold  to  stand  and  watch  them. 

Thursday,  April  7th.  Yesterday  was  a  very  plea- 
sant day,  though  rather  cool;  sun  shone  all  day, 
and  a  moderate  wind  carried  us  gently  on.  To-day 
the  wind  is  strong,  and  in  flxct  is  increasing  so  that 
Ave  have  had  a  reef  taken  in  each  of  the  topsails, 
and  all  the  sails  above  furled.  The  wind  is  so 
nearly  ahead,  that  we  cannot  keep  our  course,  but 
are  going  more  to  the  northward  than  is  desirable. 
It  is  surprising  to  see  in  how  many  different  direc- 
tions one  can  go  with  the  same  wind,  or  how  one 
may  make  winds  that  blow  in  opposite  directions 
send  him  forward  in  the  same  course.  This  is  done 
by  shifting  the  yards,  so  that  the  sails  may  obtain 
the  full  benefit  of  the  different  breezes.  Thus,  one 
going  from  west  to  east,  as  we  are,  can  proceed  with 
any  one  of  the  winds 
represented  by  the  ar- 
rows A,  B,  C,  &c.,  to 
G.  Of  these  winds, 
C  and  E  are  the  best, 
because  they  strike  all 

the  sails,  while  a  wind   wy^^ j^ 1^7 

from  D  would  not.  Pi- 
lot boats  can  go  with 
the  wind  II  and  J,  i.  e. 
within  ''four  points;" 
ships  cannot  go  with- 
in "six  points."  Each  ^' 
of  the  quadrants  above  is  supposed  to  be  divided 
into  eight  points,  as  in  the  mariner's  compass. 
The  Avind  Ave  have  to-day  is  G,  or  S.  S.  E.  I'm  at 
a  loss  to  know  how  you  Avill  receive  this  disquisi- 


JV 


A" 

L              A: 

\ 

y 

80  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWREE. 

tion.  If  you  did  not  know  these  things  before,  I 
take  it  for  granted  you  will  be  glad  to  learn  them ; 
but  if  you  did,  then  I  beg  pardon  for  troubling  you 
on  the  subject. 

Saturday,  April  9  th.  After  rather  a  restless  night, 
owing  to  the  ship's  rolling  so  much,  I  went  out  in 
the  morning  and  found  all  sails  set,  and  studding- 
sails  out ;  so  we  are  "  out  of  the  woods  noAv,"  with 
a  fair  prospect  before  us.  This  has  been  a  very 
pleasant  day,  though  our  course  has  been  rather 
slower  than  usual.  However,  "  we  are  glad,  because 
we  be  quiet,"  and  hope  soon  to  be  brought  to  our 
"  desired  haven." 

Sabbath,  April  10th.  Preached  on  John  iii.  3 :  the 
nature  and  necessity  of  regeneration ;  and  was  very 
attentively  listened  to.  The  mate  told  me  after- 
wards he  was  talking  with  "  Boston  Bill"  about  my 
sermon,  and  asked  him  if  he  did  not  think  there 
was  a  great  deal  of  truth  in  it.  He  answered,  "  he 
believed  there  was  ;"  but  he  quoted  from  my  sermon 
the  remark,  that  Christians  would  try  to  do  good  to 
others,  and  then  said,  "Now  Tve  been  with  men 
who  said  they  were  Christians,  and  yet  they  were 
trying  to  injure  others  all  the  time."  This  is  one 
of  the  many  excuses  men  make  for  continuing  in 
impenitence.  Another  that  has  equal  weight  with 
the  better  educated  part  of  our  company  is  that 
"Christians  are  always  quarrelling  among  them- 
selves." I  think  I  shaU  prepare  a  sermon  on  the 
text,  "And  they  all  began  with  one  consent  to  make 
excuse."  Bible  class  as  usual  in  the  afternoon ;  so 
pass  away  our  Sabbaths.  I  sometimes  wish  I  could 
again  go  up  to  the  sanctuary  with  the  great  congre- 
gation ;  but  I  fmd  that  that  God,  who  is  "  the  confi- 
dence of  all  the  ends  of  the  earth,"  is  also  the  confi- 
dence "  of  them  that  are  far  off  upon  the  sea."  I  have 
taken  "the  wings  of  the  morning  and  dwell  in  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  sea."  Yet,  even  here  "his 
hand  leads  me,  and  his  right  hand  upholds  me." 
What  a  glorious  thing  it  is  to  serve  such  a  God !  to 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER  M.   LOWRIE.  81 

be  able  to  say,  "  This  God  is  our  God  for  ever  and 
ever !" 

Tuesday,  April  12th.  Pleasant  weather  still.  A 
sail  in  sight  about  two  o'clock;  soon  came  near 
enough  to  make  out  that  she  was  a  whaler.  She 
ran  up  the  star-spangled  banner,  and  we  the  same ; 
presently  she  crossed  our  bows,  and  coming,  or 
rather  falling  nearer,  ran  up  her  flag  again — a  sign 
that  she  wanted  to  speak;  so  we  took  in  all  our 
light  sails,  and  put  the  yards  round  so  as  to  make 
the  ship  go  slower,  and  she  came  up  astern  but  in 
speakhig  distance.  Asked  us  where  we  were  from, 
and  if  we  had  any  papers  to  spare.  Captain 
answered,  "Yes,"  and  we  held  on  till  her  boat 
could  come  alongside.  They  speedily  lowered  one, 
and  half  a  dozen  men  jumped  down  into  it,  and  came 
dancing  over  the  waves  to  us.  Their  boat  was 
sometimes  almost  hidden  by  the  waves,  but  they 
did  not  seem  to  mind  them  at  all.  They  were  soon 
alongside,  and  their  mate  and  a  couple  of  men  came 
up  on  deck.  They  were  rough-looking  customers 
compared  with  our  crew,  though  the  latter  were  in 
their  e very-day  dress.  It  was  the  ship  Palladium, 
of  New  Bedford ;  out  eight  months  ;  had  1000  bar- 
rels of  oil  from  sixteen  whales  ;  had  not  seen  land 
for  four  months  ;  had  been  south  among  the  icebergs  ; 
were  going  to  New  Holland  soon ;  crew  of  thirty 
men.  I  asked  the  mate  if  they  had  any  books. 
"Well,  yes,  some;  but  what  we  have,  have  been 
read  pretty  often."  Captain  gave  him  two  or  three 
dozen  of  newspapers,  and  I  hastily  wrapped  up  a 
handful  of  Tracts,  and  Doddridge's  "  Rise  and  Pro- 
gress," and  Pike's  "  Religion  and  Eternal  Life,"  and 
with  a  silent  prayer  for  a  blessing  on  them,  gave 
them  to  him.  Tie  then  asked  the  captain  if  he 
could  spare  them  any  vegetables  ;  and  got  a  keg  full 
of  potatoes  and  onions,  &c.,  and  then  off*  again.  They 
have  men  constantly  aloft,  one  at  the  fore  and  one  at 
the   main-mast-head,  who  are   relieved  every  two 


82  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

hours.  In  this  way  they  saw  us  several  hours 
before  we  saw  them. 

Friday,  15th  March.  A  strong  breeze  was 
blowing  all  clay  yesterday,  and  had  not  the  news 
been  almost  too  good  to  be  true,  we  should  have 
thought  it  the  south-east-trade.  ^  However,  it  con- 
tinues to-day,  and  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  we 
have  the  looked-for  wind.  Thus  we  are  going  gaily 
on  our  course,  without  having  to  beat  about  among 
the  vaiiable  winds  that  are  commonly  found  betAveen 
the  regular  western  winds  in  lat  40°  and  the  trade- 
wind,  which  commonly  is  taken  in  lat.  28°  South. 
We  had  anticipated  being  delayed  thus  for  three  or 
four  days,  whereas  we  had  no  sooner  lost  the 
western  winds,  than  this  wind  took  us  up.  These 
are  very  curious  things.  In  lat.  40°  north  and  south, 
and  for  several  degrees  on  each  side,  the  wind 
blows  from  the  west  almost  constantly ;  from  about 
30°  to  10°  or  5°,  north  and  south,  they  blow  from 
the  north-east  and  south-east  respectively;  these 
are  the  north-east  and  south-east  trades.  On  each 
side  of  the  equator  for  a  few  degrees,  variable  winds 
prevail ;  and  commonly  between  the  western  winds 
and  the  trade-winds  there  is  a  space  of  several 
degrees  where  the  winds  vary  a  good  deal.  It  has 
been  by  these  regular  winds  that  we  have  made  the 
greatest  part  of  our  voyage. 

What  grand  things  these  winds  are  !  Just  to 
think  of  one  breeze  blowing  steadily  for  days 
together  over  a  space  of  a  thousand  or  fifteen 
hundred  miles,  ruffling  the  surface  of  the  old  ocean, 
and  playing  with  a  giant  strength  among  his  hoary 
locks  !  And  then  when  the  rain  comes  down  in 
wide-spread  torrents,  and  the  voice  of  the  thunder 
sounds  along  the  waves,  how  does  the  grandeur  of 
the  scene  put  to  shame  our  bellows  and  our 
watering-pots,  our  mimic  experiments,  and  our 
boasted  inventions  for  controlling  the  laws  of  nature ! 
AVho  can  talk  of  the  greatness  of  man,  when  sur- 
rounded by  such  proofs  of  the  omnipresent  power 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  83 

of  God  ?  True,  it  is  a  wonderful  thing  to  see  a  little 
ship  urge  onward  her  course  amon^  such  mighty 
elements,  and  some  may  say,  "Behold  here  the 
power  of  man !  superior  to  the  winds  and  the 
waves."  But  who  filled  man's  heart  with  the 
wisdom  to  invent  and  guide  a  vessel  over  such 
abysses,  amid  such  contending  forces  ?  He  may 
laugh  when  it  is  calm,  but  when  storms  arise,  and 
he  is  "  at  his  wits'  end,"  he  will  acknowledge  that 
there  is  a  God  who  reigneth  in  the  earth ;  and, 
blessed  be  his  name  !  he  is  "  Our  Father'' 

Saturday  night,  ten  o'clock.  We  are  now  di- 
rectly on  the  opposite  side  of  the  globe  from  you, 
or  within  one  degree  of  it,  so  that  with  you  it  is 
ten,  A.  M.  Saturday  night,  and  the  Sabbath  draws 
near.  If  I  could  spend  every  week  as  pleasantly 
as  I  have  spent  the  past,  I  could  rejoice  in  long 
life;  but  it  is  pleasant  to  think,  that  there  re- 
maineth — after  all  the  privileges  of  this  world — 
still,  "there  remaineth^  over  and  above  them  all,  a 
rest — a  Ga66oLruof.iDg^ — a  keeping  of  Sabbath,  for 
the  people  of  God."  Rest  is  sweet;  and  0,  to 
think  of  rest  from  sin,  rest  from  temptation,  rest 
from  disappointment,  rest  from  sorrow,  rest  in  the 
peaceful  haven  after  long  toiling  over  the  uncertain, 
restless  ocean,  and  long  strugghng  with  adverse 
winds  !  Surely  it  is  well  we  have  thus  to  labour  and 
to  suffer,  it  will  make  the  end  more  joyful.  Yet  it 
is  hard  at  times  to  resist  the  desire  to  "fly  away 
and  be  at  rest."  But  it  is  well  that  the  all  wise 
God  holds  our  times  in  his  hands.  He  will  give 
the  signal  when  it  is  the  best  time  to  cease  from 
labour,  and  therefore — 

*'  Here  my  spirit  waiting  stands 
TiU  He  shall  bid  it  fly." 

Sabbath,  April  17th.  A  dull,  rainy  Sabbath,  with 
a  light  wind;  pleasant  enough,  however,  in  other 
respects.  Saw  a  flock  of  flying-fish,  the  first  I  have 
seen   for   several   weeks.     Cleared   off  beautifully 


84  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

before  sunset,  and  the  trade  wind  came  back  again 
strongly. 

Preached  on  Luke  xiv.  18,  "And  they  all  began 
with  one  consent  to  make  excuse."  Spoke  of  the 
principal  excuses  men  make  for  not  repenting  and 
believing  :  as,  1.  "  I  have  not  time."  2.  "  Religion 
is  a  gloomy  thing,  and  a  hard  and  mean  service." 
3.  "  The  Bible  is  so  hard  to  be  understood,  and  some 
of  its  doctrines,  as  election,  &c.,  so  absurd."  4. 
"Christians  are  hypocrites,  and  there  are  so  many 
sects,  so  that  there  is  no  truth  in  religion."  5. 
"  There's  time  enough  yet — I  do  not  mean  to  die  so." 
The  attention  generally  was  better  than  I  have  yet 
seen  among  the  men,  and  several  of  them  I  observed 
watching  me  ver}^  closely  all  the  time.  I  understood 
they  had  rather  an  argument  about  the  sermon  after- 
wards in  the  forecastle,  though  I  did  not  hear  the 
purport  of  it.  Yet  alas !  it  seems  almost  hopeless  to 
preach  to  these  people.  Like  the  prophet  of  old,  I 
seem  to  be  "in  the  midst  of  the  valley  of  bones 
and,  lo,  they  are  very  dry.  Can  these  dry  bones 
live  ?  0  Lord  God,  thou  knowest."  Yet  in  his  name 
would  I  "prophesy  upon  these  bones,  and  say  unto 
them,  0  ye  dry  bones,  hear  ye  the  word  of  the 
Lord."  And  I  would  also  "prophesy  to  the  winds, 
and  say.  Come  from  the  four  winds,  0  breath,  and 
breathe  upon  these  slain."  I  wonder  if  Christians 
at  home,  who  know  that  a  missionary  is  on  his  way 
to  the  heathen,  ever  think  of  praying  that  he  may 
be  a  blessing  to  the  almost  heathenish  sailors,  as  he 
sails  with  them  week  after  week.  Hoav  little  suc- 
cess would  commonly  attend  the  minister's  labour 
at  home,  if  he  had  not  the  prayers  of  his  people  to 
assist  him !  Yet  in  cases  of  this  kind,  the  missionary 
most  commonly  stands  alone,  and  has  to  preach  to 
some  who  scarcely  know  what  are  the  very  first 
principles  of  Christianity — to  some  who,  hke  one 
of  our  crew,  "  have  not  had  a  Bible  for  many  years, 
nor  heard  a  prayer  for  seven  years ;"  to  some  who, 
like  another,  "know  not  that  there  is  any  difference 


MEMOIR   OP   WALTER   M,    LOWRIE.  85 

between  the  "faith  the  devils  have,"  and  the  faith 
that  "  works  by  love,  and  purifies  the  heart ;"  to  some 
who,  like  another,  think  that  "if  a  man  goes  to 
church,  he  is  ^  safe  enough,"  and  that  "  those 
Christians  are  mistaken,  who  say  that  men  are  natu- 
rally averse  to  religion;"  to  men  rendered  reckless 
of  danger  by  long  familiarity  with  it;  who  will 
curse  and  swear  Avhen  out  in  a  little  boat  on  a 
raging  sea,  seeking  if  they  may  find  a  comrade  who 
had  just  fallen  overboard  in  a  dark  night.  This  is 
a  fact  that  occurred  in  this  ship  on  the  last 
voyage! — to  say  nothing  of  the  evil  habits  they 
acquire  on  shore,  and  the  evil  examples  they  there 
see,  and  of  the  effects  these  must  have  upon  them. 
They  have  long  felt  that  "no  man  cared  for  their 
souls,"  and  they  make  this  an  additional  excuse  for 
continuing  as  they  are.  Surely  it  is  "  casting  bread 
upon  the  waters"  to  preach  to  such.  Yet  God  is 
all-powerful,  and  some  things  that  have  come  to  my 
knowledge  of  late,  make  me  think  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  has  not  yet  left  this  ship's  company  to 
themselves. 

Tuesday,  April  19th.  Warm  sultry  day,  and 
several  heavy  showers.  What  is  the  use  of  rain 
on  the  sea?  why  should  the  w^ater,  after  having 
been  so  carefully  drawn  up  by  the  sun,  be  poured 
down  again  to  the  place  from  which  it  came  ?  Surely 
this  was  all  foreseen  by  him  w^ho  causes  the  rain  to 
Ml,  and  he  had  some  design  in  it.  It  is  hardly  a 
sufficient  answ^er  to  sa}^,  that  these  showers  at  sea 
are  of  great  service  to  sailors,  for  vast  quantities  fidl 
where  no  ships  are,  and  fell  for  thousands  of  years 
before  ships  sailed  over  the  ocean.  Yet  surely 
they  are  of  use.  I  have  been  puzzling  my  brain 
for  a  long  time  to  find  out  the  final  cause,  as  theo- 
logians say,  of  this  phenomenon,  but  I  fear  ^\\ih  very 
little  success.  Perhaps  fresh  water  is  as  necessary 
for  the  inhabitants  of  the  sea,  as  salt  is  for  us  along 
with  our  food.  Perhaps  those  wdnds  which,  afteV 
sweeping  for  so  many  thousands  of  miles  over  the 

8 


86  MEMOIR  OF  WALTER  M.  LOWRIE. 

salt  water,  and  in  such  hot  climates  as  this,  need  to 
be  purified  and  to  have  their  unvvdiolesome  qualities 
thus  acquired  removed,  by  having  the  rain  come 
and  pass  through  them,  filtering  away,  if  I  may 
use  such  a  figure,  their  impurities,  befi^re  they  blow 
upon  the  land  or  influence  at  all  the  air  men  breathe. 
Who  knows  what  influences  are  necessary  to  preserve 
the  atmosphere  of  the  earth  in  its  purity? — and 
what  part  of  those  influences  is  excited  by  the  rains 
that  fall  on  land,  and  at  sea,  and  "m  the  wilderness 
where  no  man  is  ?"  But  this  is  one  of  the  "  things 
that  are  too  wonderful  for  me."  Men  j^ass  over 
such  things  oftentimes  as  uninteresting,  because  of 
their  ignorance  of  what  is  really  in  them.  So  it  is 
in  regard  to  everything.  We  are  often  told  that 
the  life  of  such  and  such  men  is  uninteresting,  void 
of  incidents,  and  dull.  Professors  of  rhetoric,  and 
critics,  tell  us  that  only  great  subjects  and  the  lives 
of  great  men,  furnish  suitable  themes  for  an  epic 
poem.  But  surely  the  life  of  every  man,  however 
poor  and  mean  he  may  be,  could  we  but  know  it  all, 
would  furnish  such  a  subject  for  an  epic  poem  as 
would  astonish  even  Homer  and  Milton.  There 
would  be  the  secret  counsels  of  God  respecting  him 
from  all  eternity;  the  unnumbered  and  almost 
the  innumerable  incidents  in  his  birth  and  in  his 
after  life,  when  good  and  evil  angels  watched  over 
and  influenced  him,  and  when  the  providence  of 
God  was  busied  about  him ;  the  narrow  escapes  from 
evil ;  the  woful  falls,  or  the  triumphant  victor}^ ;  all 
the  feelings  in  his  own  mind,  and  their  varied 
causes ;  the  plans  of  others  with  respect  to  him,  and 
their  influence  over  him;  the  effects  of  his  actions, 
outlasting  his  own  life,  and  reaching  far  off  amidst 
almost  infinite  ramifications  to  the  end  of  time ;  the 
various  crises  of  his  life;  and  the  endless  realities 
of  the  eternal  state.  What  created  intellect  could 
fully  comprehend,  or  rightly  describe,  all  these? 
God  knoweth  them  all.  We  hardly  ever  even  think 
of  them,  and  yet  our  whole  life  is  spent  in  influencing 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTER  M.  LOWRIE.  87 

and  being  influenced  by  such  wonderful  beings. 
Verily  this  is  a  fearful  and  wonderful  thing. 

About  sunset  the  ship  was  very  nearly  becalmed ; 
her  motion  was  barely  perceptible ;  and  I  was  leaning 
over  the  gangway,  looking  down  at  the  little  bubbles 
on  the  deep  blue  sea.  While  thus  engaged,  my  atten- 
tion was  arrested  by  a  number  of  little  insects,  no 
longer  than  the  gnat  you  sometimes  see  sporting  in 
the  evening  air.  They  moved  about  over  the  calm 
surface  of  the  water  with  great  rapidity,  just  as  the 
little  water-bugs  and  spiders  play  about  in  the  eddy 
of  a  brook  in  summer.  Where  do  these  Httle 
creatures  come  from?  whither  do  they  go?  where 
shelter  themselves  when  storms  arise  ?  Or  are  they, 
like  ourselves,  mere  creatures  of  a  day,  floating 
about  on  the  fathomless  ocean  of  eternity,  one 
moment  sportive  and  busy,  and  cherishing  great 
hopes,  the  next  swallowed  up  by  the  dark  waters, 
and  seen  no  more  ?  * 

It  was  a  lovely  night,  calm  and  clear,  a  few  clouds 
in  the  sky ;  but  the  moon  shone  down  brightly,  and 
the  large  stars  beamed  out,  like  a  queen  in  her 
royal  robes  with  her  maids  of  honour  around  her. 
Underneath  was  the  boundless  sea,  quiet  and 
smooth — "a  great  still  mirror-sea,"  and  the  moon- 
beams and  starlight  were  reflected  back  from  the 
surface  of  the  water.  But  how  different  the  direct 
and  the  reflected  light!  The  one  came  down  and 
gave  a  clear  image  of  the  heavenly  bodies ;  thus  we 
see  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ. 
But  the  other  was  distorted  and  broken  by  the 
constant  swell  of  even  that  calm  sea ;  so  it  is  with 
all  our  views  of  things  in  the  invisible  heavens. 
If  our  faith  can  only  gaze  steadfastly  thereon,  our 
hearts  will  burn  wii:hin  us;  but  the  moment  we 
turn  our  sight  to  earthly  things  our  vision  becomes 
confused,  and  we  see  no  more  clearly;  at  best  it  is 
but   ^Hhrough   a   glass   darkly."     1   could   hardly 

*  "Light  moi'tal,  how  you  walk  your  light  life  minuet,  over  bottom- 
less abysses,  divided  from  you  by  a  film." — Caelyle. 


88  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

think  of  going  to  bed;  again  and  again  as  I  turned 
off  to  retire,  a  new  appearance  of  beauty  or  a 
brightly  shining  star  arrested  my  attention,  and 
kept  me  under  the  open  sky.  Once  the  moon  was 
shghtly  obscured  by  a  white  cloud,  that  passed  like 
a  veil  over  her  face ;  but  that  only  made  her  more 
beautiful,  for  immediately  a  triple  circle  was  formed 
around  her,  of  white,  bright  orange,  and  pale  green. 
Saturday,  April  23d.  Raining  almost  all  the  night. 
Towards  four  o'clock  this  morning  I  awoke ;  it  was 
pouring  down  heavily.  Several  very  loud  claps  of 
thunder,  that  came  roaring  and  reverberating  over 
the  waters,  reminded  me  of  the  words  of  the 
Psalmist : 

*'  The  voice  of  the  Lord  is  upon  the  waters : 
The  God  of  glory  thundereth  ; 
The  Lord  is  upon  many  waters. 
The  voice  of  the  Lord  is  powerful ; 
The  voice  of  the  Lord  is  full  of  majesty." 

April  27.  In  the  Straits  of  Sandy.  Altogether 
it  has  been  an  exciting  and  interesting  day.  The 
sight  of  inhabited  land,  and  those  inhabitants  being 
heathen ;  the  effort  to  enter  the  straits,  and  failure ; 
the  mortification  of  seeing  others  pass  us  with  a  fair 
breeze,  while  we,  not  half  a  mile  off,  were  becalmed; 
then  the  pleasure  of  catching  up  and  passing  again ; 
the  sight  of  so  many  ships,  and  of  the  native  proAvs ; 
the  smell  of  land ;  the  sight  of  noble  mountains ;  the 
preparing  of  letters  for  home ;  and  the  lifting  up  of 
the  heart  in  gratitude  to  God,  that  through  so  many 
dangers,  and  along  so  lengthened  a  course,  he  has  led 
us  and  fed  us, — surely  here  will  I  raise  an  Ebenezer, 
for  hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped  me.  And  then  to 
think,  that  in  precisely  one  year  from  the  day  I  was 
first  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel,  I  was  permitted 
to  see  the  land  of  nations  sitting  in  darkness,  to  some 
of  whom  at  least  I  hope  to  preach  the  gospel !  Is  it 
not  a  day  much  to  be  remembered  ?  The  host  of  the 
enemies  are  numerous  and  powerful,  but  I  may^  well 
use  the  words  of  king  Asa  and  say,  "Lord,  it  is  no- 


]VrEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  89 

thing  with  thee  to  help,  whether  with  many  or  with 
them  that  have  no  power;  help  us,  oh  Lord  our  God ; 
for  we  rest  on  thee,  and  in  thy  name  we  go  against 
this  multitude.  Oh  Lord,  thou  art  our  God ;  let  not 
man  prevail  against  thee." 

But  if  the  clay  had  so  many  things  to  be  remem- 
bered, the  evening  was  still  more  magnificento  About 
sunset,  we  were  about  two  miles  from  shore,  directly 
off  from  the  Karang  mountains.  We  were  gliding 
swiftly  over  the  smooth  waters;  nine  other  ships 
of  different  nations,  English,  American,  and  Dutch, 
were  in  sight  on  the  western  side,  and  six  of  them 
in  full  view.  On  the  other  side,  a  dozen  Malay 
]3rows  were  hugging  the  shore.  Some  shoals  were 
to  be  passed  over,  which  required  close  watching: 
dark  and  thick  clouds,  many  and  large,  were  over- 
head, but  most  of  them  tinged  of  the  deepest  orange 
and  red  by  the  sun's  rays;  high  mountains,  five  or 
six  in  number,  loomed  up  in  various  directions,  and 
above  the  highest,  Crockatoa,  w^as  the  darkest  mass 
of  clouds ;  but  beyond  all  these  was  the  evening  star, 
'^mildly  beaming  on  the  forehead"  of  the  calm  blue 
sky,  diversified  and  enriched  as  it  was  with  the  glo- 
rious sunset  tints.  I  looked  and  gazed  with  almost 
speechless,  certainly  with  an  unutterable  admiration ; 
and  as  the  bright  colours  fiided,  the  ardour  of  my 
thoughts  subsided  to  a  quiet  comparison  of  the  va- 
ried scene  before  me,  with  what  may  perhaps  be 
the  course  of  my  future  life.  What  is  before,  I  know 
not ;  but  I  thought  that  a  swift,  though  perhaps  a  long 
voyage  over  the  uncertain  sea  of  life,  was  before  me ; 
that  I  should  have  fellow-labourers,  perhaps  of  differ- 
ent nations,  striving  together  to  benefit  the  poor  hea- 
then whose  representatives  we  here  saw  on  the  same 
sea  with  ourselves ;  that  secret  dangers  might  be  in 
my  way,  which  it  would  require  prudence  and  care 
to  avoid ;  that  many  sorrows  are  impending  over  me, 
but  they  shall  be  tinged  and  beautified  with  the 
favour  of  God ;  and  thus  the 

8^ 


90  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

'<  Clouds  I  so  much  dread, 
Are  bio;  •with  mercies,  and  shall  break 
In  blessings  on  my  head  ;" 

that  difficulties  are  before  me  like  mountains,  and 
over  the  greatest  and  the  least  of  them,  it  may  be, 
the  most  impenetrable  darkness  now  overhangs ;  but 
that  above  them  all,  shines  brightly  the  star  of  hope; 
and,  having  at  last  surmounted  them  all,  the  peaceful 
and  glorious  rest  of  heaven  will  open  upon  my 
delighted  view.  However  I  may  be  mistaken  in 
some  of  these  anticipations,  I  trust  and  pray  that  the 
last  may  prove  true. 

After  dark  my  attention  was  called  to  the  many 
fires  kindled  along  the  coast,  probably  by  the  natives, 
catching  fish.  They  looked  very  cheerful,  after 
having  been  for  so  long  without  seeing  any  traces 
of  human  bemgs,  except  those  in  our  own  little 
vessel. 

Walked  out  with  my  umbrella;  saw  some  men 
catching  fish  with  a  long  net,  but  they  caught  only 
about  two  gallons  full  of  them,  and  all  very  small, 
none,  I  suppose,  more  than  an  inch  and  a  half  long, 
shaped  mostly  like  sun-fish,  and  coloured  like  silver- 
fish  ;  I  should  suppose  that  they  are  very  delicate 
eating.  There  were  a  large  number  of  children 
playing  on  the  beach,  either  entirely  or  nearly- 
naked,  and  all  bareheaded  and  barefooted ;  their 
greatest  amusement  seemed  to  consist  in  pm^suing 
and  catching  a  small  crab,  that  ran  with  exceeding 
swiftness  and  burrowed  in  holes  in  the  sand.  I 
was  surprised  to  see  how  very  quick  it  could  run — 
much  faster  than  they  could.  When  they  had 
chased  one  to  its  hole,  they  would  sit  down  and 
try  to  dig  it  out,  if  the  hole  was  not  too  deep.  I 
began  to  pick  up  some  small  shells  on  the  beach, 
and  among  the  stones  at  the  water's  edge,  and  half 
a  dozen  of  them  gathered  round  me,  and  began 
talking,  and  asking  me  questions.  Some  of  them 
were  quite  good  looking,  and  had  very  beautiful 
teeth  ;  but  they  will  soon  sjioil  them  by  chewing 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  91 

betel  nut,  as  all  the  grown-up  people,  men  and 
women,  clo  here,  at  least  among  the  Malays  ;  I  did 
not  observe  whether  the  Chinese  use  it  or  not.  I 
did  not  understand  a  word  they  said ;  but  they  were 
evidently  in  great  spirits,  and  very  good  natm^ed ; 
so  I  talked  away  to  them,  asking  questions,  and 
making  remarks,  and  laughing  and  talking  Avith  as 
2:reat  glee  as  any  of  them.  They  helped  me  to  pick 
sheUs,  crying  out  "  Gubboosh  !"  "  Yes !"  "  Karang !" 
&c.  I  felt  almost  sorry  to  part  with  them,  and 
having  nothino'  else  to  give  them  as  a  reward  for 
their  services,  I  took  out  my  pin-cushion  and  gave 
them  a  pin  a  ])iece.  They  were  quite  eager  to  get 
them,  and  stood  round  me  in  a  half-ckcle,  holding 
up  their  little  hands  and  chattering  away.  They 
waited  very  patiently,  each  till  his  own  turn  came, 
and  followed  me  some  little  distance  afterwards,  till 
I  turned  and  waved  m}^  hand — and  then  off  they 
went. 

Sabbath  morning.  May  1st.  When  I  went  out 
before  breakfast,  we  were  away  out  in  the  Java 
Sea,  and  the  only  land  in  sight  was  the  high  peaks 
of  Rajah  Bassa,  which  must  have  been  seventy 
miles  off.  During  the  day,  saw  a  ship  to  the  east- 
ward that  looked  very  much  like  the  Oneida.  A 
pleasant  breeze  all  day,  and  tolerably  good  progress ; 
out  of  sight  of  land  all  day.  Sea  about  thirteen 
fathoms  deep ;  it  varies  from  eight  to  thirty  fathoms, 
all  the  way  from  Java  to  the  island  of  Banou ;  is 
generally  about  eleven  to  fifteen  fathoms. 

Preached  on  Luke  xxiii.  33  ;  "  There  they  cruci- 
fied him."  On  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ.  Was 
favoured  with  great  fluency  and  good  attention.  In 
the  afternoon,  one  of  the  men  came  and  asked  me 
to  lend  him  a  Greek  Testament.  He  said  he  could 
read  it.  I  was  just  preparing  for  mv  Bible  class, 
and  could  not  talk  with  him  about  it  then.  I  got  it 
for  him,  and  he  took  it  off  to  the  forecastle,  and 
seemed  to  be  reading  it  very  busily  for  some  time. 
In  a  day  or  two  afterwards,  he  came  back  with  a 


92  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

translation  he  had  made  from  the  Greek  to  Latin, 
of  Matt.  ii.  1 — 12,  which  was  very  well  done.  He 
had  been  at  some  German  schools  and  universities, 
and  miderstands  more  languages  than  any  one  on 
board ;  Greek,  Latin,  EngUsh,  French,  Danish, 
German  ;  yet  he  is  not  more  than  twenty  tAvo  years 
old. 

Monday,  May  9th.  Preached  on  John  xvi.  7,  to 
an  attentive  audience,  though  they  w^ere  not  so 
much  interested  apparently,  as  they  were  for  two  or 
three  late  days.  It  is  hard  at  times  to  repress 
unbelieving  fears,  or  to  avoid  giving  way  to  the 
suggestions  of  the  enemy,  that  "  it  is  of  no  use  to 
preach  to  such  people."  Truly,  it  is  hke  casting 
bread  upon  the  waters.  How  many  difficulties  of 
the  same  kind  must  I  experience  in  China !  My 
heart  sinks  within  me  at  times,  and  then  again  I  am 
encouraged.  But,  so  far,  I  have  had  no  desii^e  to 
go  back,  but  constantly  a  willingness  to  go  forward 
and  see  what  God  would  have  me  to  do.  Looking 
over  the  account  of  Dr.  Morrison,  in  the  Chronicle, 
I  could  hardly  tell  what  to  think.  I  cannot  plod 
away  as  he  did  at  a  language. 

We  hope  to  be  at  the  end  of  our  voyage  in  two 
weeks,  and  you  will  perhaps  think  I  must  be  very 
glad  of  it.  I  can  hardly  say,  however,  that  I  am.  For 
a  few  days  after  leaving  Angier  I  did  wish  pretty 
heartily  that  we  were  safely  moored ;  but  now  I 
feel  almost  sorry  to  think  of  ending  the  voyage  so 
soon.  Having  been  now  nearly  four  months  at  sea, 
I  feel  quite  at  home ;  and  I  know,  on  ajTOdng  in 
China,  I  shall  then  again  be  a  stranger,  with  respon- 
sible duties  to  perform,  and  no  fellow-labourer  to 
counsel  with  in  regard  to  them.  My  faith  and 
hopes  fluctuate  considerably  in  regard  to  the  futm^e. 
When  I  cast  my  cares  upon  the  Lord,  I  can  wait 
with  calmness  and  peace,  knowing  that  he  will 
bring  it  to  pass ;  but  too  often  I  sutFer  my  mind  to 
d\jeil  upon  the  future,  without  reflecting  that  my 
strength  is  all  from  on  high,  and  the  consequence 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  93 

almost  invariably  is,  that  I  am  disheartened  by  the 
prospect.  When  shall  I  learn  to  live  by  faith,  and 
not  by  sight  ?  I  am  sad,  and  almost  sick  at  heart, 
to-night,  for  I  have  been  thinking  of  difficulties,  and 
of  myself.  But  that  it  would  be  wrong,  I  could 
wish,  "  Oh,  that  I  had  wings  like  a  dove,  for  then 
would  I  fly  away,  and  be  at  rest." 

Monday,  May  16th.  Preached  yesterday  on 
Luke  xviii.  19,  to  a  very  attentive  audience.  I 
have  rarely  seen  in  America  a  more  attentive  and 
well-behaved  congregation,  than  our  sailors  here. 
Yet  the  truths  they  hear  from  me  are  as  plain  and 
evangelical,  and  as  much  calculated  to  bring  down 
one's  high  thoughts  of  himself,  as  I  know  how  to 
make  them.  I  believe  they  sometimes  think  I 
preach  hard  doctrines,  yet  they  are  very  respectful. 
Yesterday  there  was  hardly  an  eye  turned  from  me 
for  the  whole  time,  though  I  was  not  conscious  of 
being  more  than  usually  interesting  or  fervent.  But, 
alas  !  "  who  hath  believed  our  report,  and  to  whom 
is  the  arm  of  the  Lord  revealed?"  "They  came 
before  me  as  the  Lord's  people  come ;  they  heark- 
ened to  my  words,  but  theu^  heart  goeth  after  idols." 
How  can  any  one  think  that  almighty  power  is  not 
necessary  to  change  the  hearts  of  men?  How  can 
any  one  take  credit  to  himself,  if  success  attend  his 
efforts?  I  lent  my  "Holy  War"  to  the  sailmaker 
the  other  day.  He  was  greatly  pleased  with  it,  and 
was  telling  me  last  night  how  much  he  liked  it.  I 
asked  him  if  he  understood  it  all.  "Oh,  yes,  sir! 
it's  very  plain ;  and  if  it  were  not,  I  could  under- 
stand it,  by  overhauling  my  Bible  a  little."  He 
seems  to  be  a  good  man,  and  I  am  always  sure  of 
having  at  least  one  attentive  hearer  on  the  Sabbath. 
I  believe  he  never  takes  his  eyes  off  me  while  I  am 
preaching. 

Friday,  May  20th.  A  fine  breeze  for  two  days 
past  has  carried  us  on  finely,  and  if  it  holds  out,  we 
shall  probably  be  at  our  "  desired  haven"  in  a  week. 
Consequently  all  are  in  fine  spirits,  and  it  is  quite 


94  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

amusing  to  see  how  eager  every  one  is  to  hear  the 
latitude.  For  my  own  part,  I  cannot  say  I  am 
anxious  either  way.  The  responsibility  of  my  sta- 
tion, and  of  the  steps  I  may  take  at  Macao,  some- 
times weighs  me  down  a  good  deal ;  and,  like  Jere- 
miah, I  say,  "  Ah,  Lord  God !  I  cannot  speak ;  for 
I  am  a  child."  With  a  very  slight  change,  I  find 
Solomon's  prayer  very  appropriate  for  myself.  "  Oh 
Lord  God  !  thou  hast  made  me  a  messenger  to  a 
people  like  the  dust  of  the  earth  for  multitude ;  give 
me  now  wisdom  and  knowledge,  that  I  may  go  out 
and  come  in  before  this  people  :  for  who  can  instruct 
this  people  that  is  so  great?"  But  the  promises  to 
Moses,  and  Joshua,  and  Jeremiah,  and  Paul,  have 
sustained  me,  and  the  recollection  of  the  providence 
of  God  in  times  past,  cheers  me,  and  I  am  going 
forward.  A  great  work  is  before  me,  and  its  great- 
ness appals  me  at  times ;  but  the  reflection  of  the 
pendulum,  "  I  have  to  tick  so  many  thousand  times, 
that  I  cannot  count  them  all,  but  then  I  have  a 
moment  for  every  tick,"  encourages  me  again. 

Monday,  May  23d.  Preached  yesterday  what  I 
suppose  is  my  last  sermon  on  shipboard,  from  1  Cor. 
i.  23,  24,  with  as  much  fluency  and  feeling,  and  as 
good  attention  as  at  any  time  yet.  The  seed  is 
sown :  how  or  when  it  shall  spring  up,  or  what 
shall  be  the  final  results,  I  know  not.  Sometimes 
I  hope  it  may  spring  up  and  produce  much  fruit ; 
but  I  never  think  so,  when  I  recollect  the  unworthi- 
ncss  of  the  instrument  by  whom  it  was  dispensed. 

Tuesday,  May  24th.  Had  our  last  Bible  class, 
probably,  this  morning.  I  have  been  writing  up 
various' things;  among  othei^,  a  preface  to  my  jour- 
nal. 

Thursday,  INIay  26th.  Yesterday  was  a  pretty 
gloomy  day.  We  had  gone  on  so  finely  during  the 
night,"that  we  expected  to  have  been  at  Macao  by 
noon.  About  six  o'clock,  however,  a.  m.,  the  wind 
increased  to  a  gale ;  had  to  double-reef  the  topsails. 
There  was  a  heavy  sea,  and  the  ship  groaned,  and 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  95 

rolled,  and  pitched  after  the  fashion  of  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope.  We  had  had  so  much  fine  weather, 
and  so  smooth  a  sea  for  six  weeks  before,  that  the 
change  took  us  all  aback,  and  all  the  passengers  were 
quite  sea-sick.  About  eight  o'clock,  a.  m.,  yesterday, 
we  saw  land  ahead,  probably  the  great  Ladrone 
Island,  a  few  miles  south  of  Macao;  but  just  then 
the  gale  came  out  dead  ahead,  and  we  had  to  put 
back  to  sea.  Two  or  three  other  ships,  that  were 
nearer  in  than  we,  had  to  do  the  same.  Wore  ship, 
and  stood  in  for  land  again  at  noon;  saw  it  very 
distinctly  about  four,  p.  m.  ;  but  the  wind  being  still 
ahead,  had  to  put  off  to  sea  again,  and  soon  lost 
sight  of  it.  We  are  now  trying  again  to  go  in,  but 
the  wind  is  unfavorable.  It  may  be  several  days 
yet  before  we  can  get  in,  though  we  are  not  proba- 
bly six  hours'  fair  sailing  from  Macao.  "  The  worst 
coast, "  says  the  captain,  '^  in  the  world ;  nobody 
knows  when  we  will  get  in,  and  yet,  I  dare  say,  the 
gale  does  not  extend  fifty  miles.'  I  could  not  help 
thinking  how  often  we  see  such  things  in  common 
life.  Just  as  we  are  on  the  point  of  acquiring  what 
we  long  labour  and  hope  for,  we  are  disappointed, 
and  again  made  to  urge  on  our  rough  and  stormy 
course.  What  a  blessed  place  heaven  wiU  be,  where 
"  the7'e  is  no  more  sea ! "  no  more  storms ;  no  more 
wearisome  calms;  no  treacherous  shoals;  no  disap- 
pointments. It  is  the  haven  of  eternal  rest,  and 
doubly  sweet,  because  entered  "through  much  trib- 
ulation." 

CMna  Sea,  May  26th,  1842. 

My  Dear  Mother — So  here  it  is,  the  long  pro- 
mised, and  I  flatter  myself,  the  long  expected  jour- 
nal. Before  you  decide  that  it  is  too  long,  just 
imagine  yourself  in  my  situation,  with  a  charge  to 
tell  you  all  I-"  do,  and  see  and  hear,  seeing  and 
hearing  a  great  many  things  new  and  strange,  ^  or 
amusing;  and  having  hardly  any  connection  with 
home,    or   home    folios,    except   this  journal.     As 


96  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

long  as  I  was  writing  it,  I  seemed  to  be  holding  in- 
tercourse with  you;  sometimes  sitting  down  K)r  a 
long  chat,  sometimes  running  in  to  tell  you  a  little 
story,  sometimes  pointing  out  a  splendid  scene  on 
the  sky,  sometimes  giving  you  a  picture  of  social 
life  on  shipboard, — was  it  any  wonder  that  my  pen 
sometimes  loved  to  linger  on  the  paper,  when  it 
thus  brought  up  before  me  so  many  tender,  and  so 
many  pleasant  associations ;  and  Avhen  it  caused  me 
to  think  the  oftener  of  one — yes,  of  many  whom, 
though  I  love,  I  dare  not  expect  to  see  any  more 
on  earth? 

If  you  find  it  badly  written  in  some  places,  you 
must  consider,  that  it  was  sometimes  so  damp,  that 
my  paper  seemed  to  be  almost  wet;  and  especially 
the  ship  often  rolled  so  prodigiously,  that  in  my 
efforts  to  maintain  my  own  position,  I  had  enough 
to  do  without  minding  whether  I  wrote  backhand  or 
slopehand,  or  whether  the  strokes  went  perpendicu- 
larly or  horizontally.  I  think,  if  you  had  seen  me 
sometimes,  laying  my  writing  desk  in  my  berth, 
bracing  my  foot  against  the  sides  of  my  room,  and 
holding  on  with  one  hand  to  the  berth  board,  while 
I  wrote  with  the  other,  and  after  all  getting  knocked, 
now  against  the  berth,  and  now  against  the  partition 
of  my  room,  you  would  think  I  did  pretty  well. 
This  is  no  fanciful  description,  for  such  things  hap- 
pened to  me  again  and  again,  when  off  the  Cape  of 
Uood  Hope. 

As  to  publication  of  extracts — No.  I  set  my 
foot  down  there.  Keep  it  out  of  the  wa}^  of  that 
little  omnivorous  monster  that  they  keep  in  the  Mis- 
sion House — [the  Missionary  Chronicle.]  There  is 
not  a  line  of  it  that  was  written  for  publication, 
and  very  few  lines  in  it  that  I  think  fit  for  publication. 
They  are  mere  unstudied  and  unlaboured  accounts  of 
what  happened  to  myself,  in  a  vo3^age  that  contained 
few  or  no  striking  incidents.  I  have  not  that 
squeamishness  about  the  publication  of  letters  and 
journals  that  some  missionaries  have;   but  still  I 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  97 

would  rather  not  appear  in  print  for  several  years 
yet.  The  less  I  am  known  for  a  while — at  least 
until  it  is  known  whether  I  am  likely  to  be  of  any 
use  in  this  part  of  the  world — the  better.  If  I 
should  prove  a  worthless  vessel,  a  useless  labourer, 
there  will  be  fewer  disappointed  in  me.  I  know 
that  some  would  laugh  at  me  for  feeling  such  an 
anticipation,  but  with  me  it  is  no  laughing  matter. 
My  coming  to  this  part  of  the  world  is  but  an  eocper- 
imcnt.  If  it  succeeds,  there  will  be  time  enough  to 
become  as  prominent  as  is  needful;  if  it  does  not, 
it  will  be  better  by  far,  both  for  myself  and  the 
Church,  that  as  httle  be  said  about  it,  and  as  few 
expectations  disappointed,  as  possible. 

What  more  shall  I  say?  I  might  fill  page  after 
page  with  expressions  of  attachment  and  affection. 
I  might  say  how  often  I  think  of  you  aU,  and  recall 
to  mind  the  many,  many  proofs  of  love,  and  tokens 
of  kindly  feelings,  I  have  received  from  you.  I 
may  say  how  much  I  would  delight  to  hear  from 
you,  and  about  all  that  concerns  you,  especially  those 
things  that  relate  to  the  spiritual  welfare  of  each 
and  every  one  of  the  family,  and  of  other  dear 
friends.  But  why  should  I?  You  already  know 
all  this  nearly,  if  not  quite  as  well,  as  I  could  tell 
you.  When  you  think  of  me,  or  speak  of  me,  do 
not  think  or  speak  of  me,  as  if  you  thought  I  were 
unhappy,  or  repented  of  the  course  I  have  taken. 
I  may  be  sick  I  may  be  in  outward  distress,  I  may 
be,  I  often  am  dejected  and  despondent,  but  I  never 
yet  have  regretted  that  I  am  away  from  home,  and 
never  yet  felt  the  wish  (however  much  I  should  like 
to  see  you  all)  to  leave  the  path  I  am  now  tread- 
ing, and  turn  my  back  upon  the  heathen.  What 
may  be  my  feelings  hereafter,  I  dare  not  presume 
to  say.  I  may  be  "  troubled  on  every  side ; '  "  per- 
plexed," oftentimes;  "persecuted,"  it  may  be;  "cast 
down,"  even.  But,  I  trust  not  to  be  "distressed," 
not  to  be  "  forsaken,"  and,  far  from  being  "'  destroyed," 
to  come  off  at  last  conqueror,  and  more  than  conque- 


98  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

ror,  through  him  that  hath  loved  me.  With  such  a 
confidence,  and  with  the  hoj^e  of  being  sustained  by 
many  influences  from  the  land  of  my  birth,  more 
precious  than  gold  and  silver,  I  may  well  rejoice; 
yea,  I  do  rejoice. 

Most  affectionately  yours, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


CHAPTER  III. 

1842. 


Landing  in  China — Voyage  in  the  Sea  Queen — Shipwreck  in  the  Har- 
mony— Return  to  Macao. 

At  the  period  included  in  this  chapter,  hostilities 
existed  between  Great  Britain  and  China,  and  the 
result  of  the  contest,  or  even  its  duration,  could  not 
be  known.  On  reaching  China,  the  new  missionary 
was  instructed  to  inqmre  particularly,  in  view  of 
the  state  of  things  then  existing,  the  practica- 
bility of  establishing  a  station  at  Hong  Kong,  or 
any  point  on  the  coast  further  north.  Having  ob- 
tained this  information,  and  joined  his  colleagues  at 
Singapore,  they  were  authorized  to  decide  the  ques- 
tion of  removing  from  Singapore,  and  concentrating 
the  whole  missionary  force  in  China.  On  landing, 
he  found  that  the  Rev.  T.  L.  McBryde  had  been  at 
Macao  for  some  months,  having  left  Singapore  in 
hopes  that  a  sea  voyage  would  recruit  his  health. 

Having  made  himself  acquainted  wdth  the  existing 
state  of  things  in  China,  Mr.  Lowrie  left  Macao  on 
the  18th  of  June;  and  after  four  months  of  unavailing 
elforts  to  reach  Singapore,  he  returned  to  Hong 
Kong  on  the  18th  of  October.  The  account  of  these 
distressing  voyages,  and  his  perilous  shipwreck,  is 
fully  given  in  the  following  letters  and  journals.    It 


MEMOIR   OF  WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  99 

is  matter  of  regret  that  one-half  of  his  journal  in  the 
Sea  Queen  was  some  years  ago  destroyed  by  fire, 
when  the  house  of  one  of  his  relatives  was  burned 
down.  The  loss  cannot  be  supplied,  as  no  copy  of 
this  impressive  journal  w^as  taken. 

During  the  time  of  these  disastrous  voyages,  the 
providence  of  God  had  made  the  question  plain,  on 
which  the  missionaries  were  seeking  for  light.  The 
war  between  Great  Britain  and  China  had  been  ter- 
minated by  a  treaty  of  peace,  with  which  the  con- 
tending parties  appeared  to  be  satisfied,  and  by 
which  five  cities  on  the  coast  were  opened  to  the 
commerce  and  enterprise  of  Western  nations,  as  well 
as  to  the  labour  of  the  Christian  missionary.  The 
time  had  now  fully  come  when  the  labours  of  the 
church  of  God,  in  behalf  of  China,  needed  no  longer 
to  be  carried  on  at  a  distant  outport. 


3Iacao,  May  28th,  1842. 

My  Dear  Mother — We  anchored  yesterday  at  four 
p.  M.  in  Macao  roads.  Here  I  found  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
McBryde,  who  had  reached  China  several  months  ago, 
having  taken  the  voyage  from  Singapore  on  account  of 
his  health.  I  was  greatly  delighted  to  find  him  here, 
and  was  much  reheved  by  having  his  counsel  and  assist- 
ance in  deciding  the  various  questions  before  us.  I  was 
most  cordially  received  by  the  different  missionaries 
here,  and  found  a  temporary  home  with  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Bridgman.  At  a  late  hour  I  got  to  bed,  under 
musquito  curtains,  but  could  not  sleep  for  a  long 
time.  It  was  so  strange  to  be  lying  m  a  large  or 
wide  bed,  to  be  in  a  large  room,  to  feel  that  I  was 
on  heathen  ground.  I  greatly  missed  the  ship's 
bells,  which  strike  every  half  hour  on  board.  The 
noise  of  the  gongs,  and  drums,  and  rattles,  and  other 
strange  sounds  in  the  town,  and  the  many,  many 
thoughts  of  hundreds  of  things,  past,  present,  and 
to  come,  that  crowded  rapidly  through  my  mind, 
kept  me  long  awake.     It  is  Saturday  night  again  \ — 


100  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

I  am  a  stranger  in  the  earth,  but  Ebenezer — Em- 
manuel. 

Hong  Kong,  June  7th,  1842.  I  stayed  in  Macao 
from  Friday  evening  till  Wednesday  morning,  and 
saw  a  good  deal  of  the  place.  The  population  is  about 
35,000,  principally  Chinese,  with  perhaps  5000  of 
Portuguese  descent.  The  streets  are  narrow  and 
crooked ;  very  few  are  more  than  ten  feet  wide,  and 
some  not  more  than  six.  They  are  commonly  full 
of  persons  passing  along,  hucksters  and  pedlers, 
with  their  wares  and  cries  of  various  kinds.  I  saw 
a  poor  gM,  who  had  lost  both  her  feet  by  the  lepro- 
sy, and  was  moving  about  on  her  hands  and  knees. 
Very  few  women  are  seen  in  the  streets,  except 
that  in  the  mornings  and  evenings  a  number  of  well- 
dressed  Portuguese  women,  with  a  servant  behind, 
holding  a  large  umbrella  over  them,  go  out  to  walk. 
The  ladies,  and  a  good  many  of  the  foreign  male 
residents,  commonly  pay  their  visits  in  sedan  chairs, 
borne  by  two  Chinese.  I  used  to  pity  some  of  the 
bearers  as  they  went  panting  along  under  the  weight 
of  some  fat  fellow.  These  bearers  commonly  go  in 
a  little  short  trot,  though  it  is  very  seldom  that  you 
see  a  Chinaman  run.  The  houses  of  the  foreigners 
are  commonly  large  and  roomy;  the  servants  live 
in  the  basement,  and  the  owners  in  the  upper  floor. 
Few  or  none  of  them  are  more  than  one  story  high. 
Most  of  them  have  one  or  more  imnhahs.  I  went 
out  one  morning  to  bathe,  in  the  place  where  Mr. 
Stanton  w^as  captured,  and  in  the  way  passed  through 
a  large  Chinese  burying  ground.  Most  of  the  graves 
were"  very  carelessly  attended  to.  A  great  many 
of  them  had  pieces  of  Chinese  paper  at  the  head. 
It  is  but  a  short  time  since  the  Chinese  had  their 
ceremony  of  worshipping  the  graves  of  their  ances- 
tors. It  is  their  custom  then,  to  put  such  a  piece 
of  paper  on  the  graves,  to  serve  as  mone}^  for  their 
departed  ancestors  in  the  other  world.  I  also  visit- 
ed the  Protestant  burying  ground,  where  Dr.  Morri- 
son and  his  flrst  wife  are  laid.     It  is  a  smaU,  and 


MEMOIR   OF    WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  101 

rather  a  pretty  place,  now  nearly  full.  I  suppose, 
however,  it  will  not  be  much  used  hereafter,  as 
probably  most  of  the  Protestant  foreigners  will  re- 
move to  Hong  Kong. 

There  is  a  little  chapel  owned  by  the  British  in 
Macao,  where  one  of  the  missionaries  usually  preach- 
es every  Sabbath,  using  the  forms  of  the  Episcopal 
church.  Mr.  Boone  preached  on  the  Sabbath,  on 
^'  Train  up  a  child,"  &c. — He  had  first  baptized  the 
daughter  of  Mr.  Swords,  an  American  Episcopal 
merchant  there.  This,  I  believe,  was  the  first  pub- 
lic baptism  ever  performed  by  an  American  in 
Macao.  The  missionaries  usually  have  their  chil- 
dren baptized  privately.  There  were  two  punkahs 
in  the  church,  so  that,  though  the  day  was  warm, 
we  were  quite  comfortable.  There  were  probably 
forty  persons  present.  The  Chinese,  however,  have 
no  Sabbath,  and  were  going  about  vending  their 
wares,  and  uttering  their  cries  as  usual.  As  for  the 
Boman  Catholics  here,  their  Sabbath  is  over  after 
mass,  which  is  performed  early  in  the  morning.  In 
the  evening  I  preached  to  an  audience  of  some  twen- 
ty or  thirty,  at  Mr.  Brown's  house, — on  Psalm  cxix. 
19.  As  Mr.  McBryde  was  to  leave  Macao  for 
Amoy  on  Wednesday,  June  1st,  together  with  Mr. 
Boone  and  Dr.  Cumming,  we  had  a  missionary  meet- 
ing at  Mr.  Brown's  on  Tuesday  night.  The  vessel 
in  which  they  were  to  go  to  Amoy,  was  lying  at 
Hong  Kong,  and  I  accompanied  them  to  this  place. 

Having  a  head  wind  the  whole  time,  we  had  to 
beat  all  the  way,  and  were  twenty-nine  hours  coming 
forty-five  miles,  the  distance  from  Macao  to  Hong 
Kong.  1  suppose  in  our  beating  about,  we  went 
at  least  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  Mr.  B.  and  Mr. 
McB.  were  neither  of  them  well;  their  wives  were 
even  more  weakly,  and  in  addition  were  sea  sick ; 
their  children  were  uneasy  and  fretful,  and  two 
ayahs  or  female  servants,  whom  they  had  engaged 
to  go  with  them  to  Amoy,  were  so  sea-sick  they 
could  not  hold  up  their  heads.  There    they  were, 


102  MEMOIR    OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

among  tables  and  boxes,  and  chairs,  and  plates, 
with  scarcely  room  to  stir,  sick,  going  to  a  strange 
comitry  and  f^ir  away  from  the  comforts  of  home 
and  friends.  I  assnre  you  I  began  to  think  more 
seriously  than  before  of  the  personal  trials  and  dis- 
comforts of  missionary  life.  Yet  there  was  not  a 
murmur  uttered,  nor  as  far  as  I  could  see,  an  emo- 
tion of  impatience  or  regret  felt.  We  arrived  at 
Ilong  Kong  harbour  about  three  p.  m.,  on  Thursday. 
On  Saturday  morning  I  tried  to  go  up  one  of  the 
hills — I  assure  you  that  it  was  up-hill  work,  and  I 
had  hard  tugging  to  get  myself  up.  It  was  so  steep, 
I  concluded  to  go  no  further,  and  sat  down  to  rest 
on  a  rock  before  descending.  My  toil  in  ascending 
the  hill,  naturally  reminded  me  of  the  circumstances 
of  the  mission,  which  we  were  trying  to  establish 
here,  and  of  the  work  that  is  yet  before  us.  The 
difficulties  are  great — high  as  the  mountains,  and, 
apparently,  as  hard  to  be  removed  as  the  granite 
upon  them ;  and  after  all,  what  is  it  to  the  eye  of 
man  but  a  barren  prospect,  hke  the  bare  side  of  the 
hill  I  had  been  climbing  ?  And  yet,  as  I  ascended 
I  had  seen  httle  plants  and  flowers,  and  insects,  and 
shells,  and  recognized  in  all  of  them  traces  of  the 
presence  and  power  of  God ;  and  as  I  looked  around 
1  saw  that  some  Chinese  women  had  ascended  the 
hills  to  gather  firewood  to  sustain  their  earthly 
lives,  and  that  civilized  men  were  toiling  at  great 
expense  to  found  a  city  here,  where  apparently, 
there  was  so  little  prospect  of  one  being  founded. 
If  they  spare  no  expense  for  a  mere  earthly  object, 
why  should  Christians  grudge  their  money  or  labour 
in  endeavouring  here  to  build  the  temple  of  the 
Lord  ?  There  are  great  difficulties  in  the  way,  but 
when  I  looked  round,  and  saw  these  vast  hills  piled 
up  on  all  sides,  and  covered  over  with  the  immense 
blocks  of  granite  as  if  in  sport,  just  as  a  child  heaps 
up  little  sand  hills  in  its  play,  and  disposes  its  peb- 
bles and  its  shells  on  their  sides  and  their  tops,  I 
could  not  but  exclaim,  The  God  who  formed  tnese 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  103 

hills,  and  placed  these  rocks  upon  them,  is  all-power- 
ful; and  though  they  seem  immovabl}^  fixed,  yet 
even  men,  by  slow  and  patient  labour,  may  take 
them  away;  and  he  himself,  by  means  that  he  can 
well  employ,  can  remove  them  at  once.  The  diffi- 
culties of  our  mission,  God  could  remove  at  once ; 
but  if  he  chooses  to  employ  us  in  this  work,  the 
probability  is,  that  for  the  present  we  shall  proceed 
by  slow,  and  perhaps  for  a  time,  almost  imperceptible 
steps.  But  the  work  shall  be  done,  for  the  mouth 
of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it.  The  granite  rocks 
around  were  a  little  sanctuary  to  me,  and  I  did  not 
rei^ret  my  toil  in  climbing  up  the  hill. 

The  Sabbath-day  to  me  was  a  very  pleasant  day, 
though  I  saw  many  things  to  pain  me.  I  could  not 
but  feel  that  I  was  in  a  worse  than  a  heathen  country. 
It  is  a  heathen  land  under  the  control  of  Christians, 
where  the  heathen  are  allowed,  and  even  required 
by  the  Christians,  to  work  for  them  on  the  Sabbath- 
day.  How  can  the  missionaries  urge  the  natives 
to  keep  holy  the  Sabbath-day,  wdien  the  merchants 
and  the  Government  send  them  to  count  money, 
store  away  goods,  open  roads,  hew  granite,  and 
build  houses,  on  that  day;  and  when  the  Roman 
Catholic  priests,  who  are  now  exerting  the  greatest 
influence  on  the  natives  of  any  of  the  foreigners, 
consider  that  the  Sabbath  is  over  as  soon  as  a  mass 
is  said  ?  The  merchants  go  to  their  counting-rooms 
as  usual,  and  the  Sabbath  is  emphatically  the  day 
for  visiting. — "  Woe  is  me  that  I  dwell  in  Mesech, 
and  sojourn  in  the  tents  of  Kedar !"  My  heart  is 
sick  at  the  sight  of  the  wickedness  around.  0  Lord, 
show  thyself.  I  felt  almost  afraid  to  establish  a 
mission  here,  for  how  can  a  city  prosper  whose 
foundations  are  laid  in  the  desecration  of  the  Sabbath- 
day  ?  "  Sin  is  a  reproach  to  any  people,"  and  how 
much  more  to  England  and  America ! 


104  MEMOIR  OF  WALTER  M.  LOWRIE. 

\ 

China  Sea,  June  24  th,  1842. 

Mr.  John  Lloyd — My  Dear  Brother  : — I  am 
often  thinking  of  you,  and,  especially  of  late,  often 
wishing  I  had  you  out  here  along  with  me.  You 
must  come  out  to  China.  .  .  . 

Here  I  am  all  alone,  and  rather  lonely,  going  down 
the  China  Sea  against  the  monsoon,  and  wishing 
most  heartily  that  I  were  on  terra  firma  again,  and 
settled  doAvn  at  my  Chinese  studies.  Excepting 
sea-sickness,  and  a  very  slight  attack  of  fever  at  the 
commencement  of  this  last  trip,  I  have  heen  uniformly 
very  well  since  leaving  New  York ;  and  have  been 
enabled  to  see  and  hear  a  good  deal,  and  to  collect 
a  good  deal  of  information  respecting  China  as  a 
missionar}^  field.  I  know  you  will  be  anxious  to 
hear  what  I  think  of  it  in  that  respect,  so  I  propose 
to  tell  3^ou,  in  as  few  words  as  possible,  what  I  think 
of  it.  You  know  how  very  unexpected  it  was  to  me 
that  I  should  ever  be  a  missionary  to  China.  It  is 
not  a  year  yet  since  my  station  was  assigned  to  me 
in  this  part  of  the  world ;  and  I  came  out  with  many 
fears  and  misgivings,  and  many  doubts  as  to  my 
fitness  for  such  a  station,  and  as  to  its  suitableness 
for  missionary  labour  at  the  present  time.  But  what 
I  have  seen  and  what  I  have  heard  has  shoAvn  me 
many  things  I  never  knew  before,  has  opened  up 
to  me  views  of  its  vastness  as  a  field  for  labour 
almost  overpowering,  and  has  taught  me  that  many 
of  its  difficulties  have  been  greatly  overrated.  It  has 
its  difficidties,  and  some  of  them,  such  as  the  evil 
influence  of  foreigners,  though  I  knew  of  them 
before,  are  far  greater  than  I  expected ;  but  on  the 
whole  I  am  greatly  encouraged.  There  is  a  great 
work  to  be  done,  and  the  men  are  now  wanted  to 
perform  it ;  and  it  is  not  required  that  these  men 
should  be  angels  "greater  in  might  and  excelling 
in  power"  the  rest  of  mankind,  in  order  that  they 
may  perform  it.  The  language  can  be  learned,  the 
peo})le  can  be  approached  \  and  I  verily  befieve  that 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  105 

China  is  noto  opening  ;  certainly  it  is  more  open  now 
than  it  has  ever  been  before.  Missionaries  can  now 
labour  in  Macao  much  more  freely  than  ever  before. 
Hong  Kong  will  soon  be  perfectly  open.  Mission- 
aries are  now  at  Amoy  and  Chusan,  places  where  no 
Protestant  missionaries  have  ever  been  before ;  and 
those  at  Amoy  and  Chusan,  where  the  people  have 
not  been  as  yet  corrupted  by  the  evil  influence  and 
example  of  foreigners,  represent  them  as  an  un- 
commonly interesting  peoj^le,  easy  of  access,  and 
free  in  their  manners.  They  are  heathen  of  course, 
and  have  the  vices  of  heathen ;  but  I  am  inclined  to 
think  that  there  is  no  people  except  the  native 
Africans,  among  whom  I  would  more  readily  labour, 
and  with  more  hope  of  success,  than  among  the 
Chinese ;  and  this  I  think  is  saying  a  good  deal. 
You  know  how  promising  a  people  I  have  always 
thought  the  Africans  are. 

I  am  not  able  now  to  give  you  the  facts  on  which 
I  base  the  above  conclusion.  Perhaps  I  may  at 
some  other  time.  But  I  never  felt  so  anxious  to 
live  long  as  I  have  several  times  in  China,  when  I  saw 
the  Chinese  around  me,  and  wanted  to  preach  Christ 
to  them.  I  think  I  should  rejoice  to  wear  out  a 
long  life  in  Christ's  service  in  China. 

I  formed  some  very  pleasant  acquaintances  among 
the  missionaries  in  China,  most  of  whom  I  have  seen, 
and  some  of  them  frequently.  .  .  . 

There  is  an  infinite  fund  of  wisdom  in  our  Lord's 
saying  to  his  apostles,  "Be  ye  wise  as  serpents." 
IMissionaries  above  all  other  men,  it  seems  to  me, 
need  to  be  men  of  prudence ;  not  actuated  by  im- 
pulse, but  influenced  by  steady  and  enhghtened 
principle.  Certainly  nothing  else  will  atone  for  the 
want  of  prudence,  m  a  missionary  to  China  at  the 
present  time.  A  "  prudent  counsellor"  is  invaluable, 
especially  now.  And  yet  there  is  very  great  danger 
of  having  prudence  degenerate  to  timidity,  and  thus 
overpower  our  zeal.  Surely  we  have  need  of  wis- 
dom from  on  high  to  dkect  us.     I  often  think  of 


106  ]\IEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

Solomon's  prayer  for  wisdom,  when  he  was  appoint- 
ed to  rule  over  the  numerous  people  of  Israel. 

How  are  you  coming  on  in  matrimonial  affairs? 
Let  me  whisper  m  your  ears  a  good  piece  of  advice. 
Keep  your  eyes  open ;  if  you  see  one  who  would 
make  you  a  good  and  prudent  wife,  by  all  means 
try  and  secure  her.  If  you  cannot  find  one  that 
would  be  an  helpmeet  for  you,  consider  it  an  inti- 
mation of  Providence  that  you  are  to  remain  unmar- 
ried for  the  present,  and  come  out  single.  Such 
was  the  principle  I  acted  on  in  the  United  States, 
and  after  all  I  have  felt  and  seen,  I  am  more  and 
more  convinced  that  it  is  the  proper  course  to  be  taken. 
The  missionaries  here  all  recommend  that  a  man 
should  be  married,  but  I  beheve  they  all  abhor  what 
are  sometimes  called  "  missionary  matches,"  and  I 
think  most  justly.  I  hope  you  will  by  example  and 
precept  discountenance  aU  such  things. 

How  I  should  like  to  see  3^ou,  and  chat  with  you 
for  a  while!  Where  are  you?  what  doing?  How 
are  you  getting  on?  What  are  your  prospects? 
When  will  you  be  licensed  ?  Are  you  ready  to 
come  out  here  ?  or  do  the  Nestorians  still  call  forth 
your  S3^mpathies?  Do  you  still  remember  ^'the 
love  of  your  espousals?"  and  that  bright  and  happy 
season  at  Jefferson  College,  with  our  many  pleasant 
interviews,  and  the  walks  we  took,  and  the  prayers 
we  offered,  and  the  many  conjectures  and  plans  for 
future  usefulness  we  laid?  Some  who  started  with 
us,  and  for  a  while  promised  as  fair,  have  already 
gone  back;  while  others  have  already  entered  mto 
rest.  Why  are  we  spared?  What  are  we  doing? 
Could  we  now  rejoice  to  give  up  the  account  of  our 
stewardship  ? 

Farewell — and  may  the  Lord  we  have  so  often 
delighted  to  worship  together,  stiU  watch  over  and 
bless  thee. 

August  12th.  Dear  brother,  if  you  ever  come  to 
China,  I  hope  you  may  not  have  to  go  up  or  down 
the  China  sea  against  the  monsoon.  After  fifty- three 


MEMOm   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  107 

days'  hard  work,  we  have  been  obliged  to  abandon 
the  effort,  and  are  now  going  to  Manilla,  to  lay  in 
fresh  provisions,  and  prepare  for  another  efibrt. 
The  monsoon  will  be  nearly  over  in  a  month,  and  then 
perhaps  we  may  succeed.  How  often  have  I  thought 
of  you  on  this  voyage,  and  wished  you  were  here ! 

Affliction  is  a  good  thing  to  make  one  study  the 
Scriptures.  I  never  understood  them  half  so  well 
before,  nor  relished  so  much  their  precious  promises. 
This  has  been  a  pretty  severe  trial  to  me  :  alone,  with 
no  Christian  friend ;  a  boisterous  sea ;  hope  deferred 
until  the  heart  became  sick,  and  then  entkely  cut 
off.  But  I  have  become  pretty  well  reconciled  to 
it,  and  can  even  rejoice,  "for  the  Lord  reigneth." 
Why  he  has  thus  disappointed  my  expectations,  I 
cannot  yet  tell;  but  no  doubt  for  wise  reasons.  This 
affliction  I  trust  is  doing  me  good,  and  I  shall  yet 
justify  him  in  all  his  ways. 

Very  truly  yours 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


China  Sea,  June  22d,  1842. 

My  Dear  Mother — I  have  a  prospect  of  a  long, 
lonely,  and  perhaps  tedious  passage.  And  I  know  of 
nothing  that  may  contribute  better  to  cheer  at  least 
a  few  of  its  lonely  hours,  than  to  keep  a  quiet  jour- 
nal, connecting  me  once  more  with  "•  home  and  home 
folks;"  so  I  pray  you  to  receive  this  little  manuscript, 
as  another  proof,  if  proof  were  needed,  that  I  have 
not  forgotten  you,  and  do  not  think  of  you  with  the 
less  affection,  though  my  letters  may  not  at  all  times 
be  composed  with  so  many  laboriously  sought  ex- 
pressions of  affection,  and  longing  desires  to  see  you 
again,  as  you  may  sometimes  meet  with  in  the  case 
of  home-sick  travellers. 

Late  on  Satm^day,  word  came  that  the  "  Sea  Queen 
goes  to-morrow  morning  at  daylight,  and  you  will 
have  to  go  aboard  to-mght."  There  was  no  help 
for  it ;  so  1  hastily  packed  up  my  trunk,  said  good- 


108  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

bye  to  my  kind  friends,  to  all  of  whom,  and  es- 
pecially Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown,  I  had  become  very 
much  attached,  and  at  half-past  six,  got  aboard 
another  Chinese  boat  to  go  out  to  the  vessel.  It 
rained  several  times  pretty  hard,  yet  we  got  out  in 
two  hours  and  a  half  It  was  rather  a  storniy,  un- 
comfortable preparation  for  the  Sabbath ;  and  I  could 
not  think  without  longing  remembrances  of  the  many 
pleasant  Saturday  evenings  on  board  the  Huntress, 
and  particularly  of  the  "preparation,"  as  "the  Sab- 
bath drew  near,"  at  home.  I  wondered  what  you 
were  all  doing;  and  whether  you  had  any  idea  of 
my  situation, — alone,  weary,  and  half  despondent. 
However,  my  troubles  seemed  to  be  over  when  I  got 
safely  on  board,  and  I  thought  I  should  now  in  these 
"  splendid  accommodations,"  have  at  least  a  quiet 
and  pleasant  voyage  to  Singapore.  But  I  began  to 
think  very  soon,  that  I  had  reckoned  without  my 
host.  My  room  is  a  good,  large,  airy  apartment, 
and  high  enough  for  me  to  stand  upright ;  but  it  has 
no  berth,  though  a  large  transom  supplies  the  place 
of  that ;  no  table,  no  wash-stand ;  not  even  a  wash- 
basin ;  no  lamp,  no  shelves,  only  one  or  two  hooks, 
and  one  stool;  these  are  its  "accommodations." 
The  first  thing  I  saw  when  I  went  in  at  night,  was 
a  host  of  large  cockroaches,  which  made  themselves 
perfectly  at  home  there;  a  quantity  of  spiders  and 
spider's  webs  in  every  corner ;  and  a  very  unpleas- 
ant odour,  caused,  I  suppose,  in  great  part,  by  the 
cockroaches,  to  which,  after  three  or  four  days'  ex- 
perience, I  have  not  yet  become  accustomed. 

We  Avere  to  have  sailed  at  daylight  Sabbath  morn- 
ing, but  did  not  get  off  till  ten  o'clock ;  had  a  head 
wind  and  a  rough  sea;  and  by  ten  o'clock,  p.  m., 
we  had  gone  only  ten  or  fifteen  miles,  and  had  to 
anchor  just  outside  of  the  great  Ladrone  Island. 
Next  day  Ave  did  very  little  better,  and  beat  about 
in  sight  of  land  all  day.  Meantime  I  felt  very  poor- 
ly. Sabbath  morning,  though  not  unwell.  I  could 
not  fix  my  thoughts  on  anything.     The  business  of 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTER  M.   LOWRIE.  109 

our  mission,  and  various  plans,  kept  crowding  into  my 
mind.  I  tried  to  read  the  Psalms,  Life  of  the  Mar- 
tyrs, &c.,  but  could  not  with  any  ease  or  pleasure. 
Afternoon,  my  head  ached,  tooth  ached,  hands  and 
face  were  sore  from  being  sun-burnt  the  day  before, 
and  I  had  a  good  deal  of  fever,  which  kept  on  me 
for  several  hours.  I  was  tired  lying  down,  yet  too 
weak  to  sit  up ;  and  it  was  too  wet  and  unpleasant 
to  be  out.  The  officers  were  too  busy  to  attend  to 
me ;  and  Chun  Sing,  who  is  going  with  me  to  Singa- 
pore, was  quite  sea-sick  himself. 

Oh,  how  often  I  thought  of  the  Huntress,  with 
her  nice  clean  sweet  cabins,  her  kind  captain,  pious 
mate,  intelligent  and  quiet  crew,  and  pleasant  pas- 
sengers !  Everything  seemed  different  here.  I 
could  hardly  avoid  murmuring,  though  at  the  same 
time  I  felt  that  I  had  many,  many  more  comforts 
than  I  deserved,  and  after  a  while  I  became  rather 
more  satisfied.  Next  day,  I  kept  getting  better; 
got  several  refreshing  naps,  and  in  each  of  them 
had  a  sweet  and  pleasant  dream.  I  dare  not  tell 
you  the  first, — it  would  amuse  you  too  much.  In 
the  second,  I  dreamed  that  father  and  yourself  had 
come  out  to  Macao  to  see  me.  He  wanted  to  go  to 
Singapore  in  the  Sea  Queen,  but  I  told  him  to  go  in 
the  Huntress  by  all  means.  We  had  to  part  for  a 
while,  and  I  was  very  anxious  for  him  to  read  the 
letters,  and  particularly  the  official  one,  which  I  had 
that  morning  left  in  the  hands  of  a  young  friend  to 
be  sent  to  America  by  the  first  vessel.  I  hope  you 
have  got  them  before  now.  I  had  some  trouble  to 
get  the  letters  for  him  in  time,  and  just  as  I  got 
them,  I  awoke,  and  behold  it  was  a  dream. 

Next  day,  Tuesday,  I  was  better  still ;  and  to-da}^, 
AVednesday,  June  22d,  I  am  quite  well,  and  have 
things  a  little  more  comfortably  fixed.  I  have  told 
Chun  Sing  to  come  to  my  room  every  day,  and  read 
the  New  Testament,  and  learn  the  Shorter  Cate- 
chism, &c.  This  is  the  strength  of  the  S.  W.  mon- 
soon, so  that  we  have  the  wind  strong  and  right 

10 


110  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

ahead,  and  shall  have  it  so  all  the  way.  Conse- 
quentl}^;  we  have  to  sail  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
at  least,  in  order  to  make  fifty  on  our  course. 

Saturday,  June  25th.  Here  we  are  still  beating 
down  the  China  Sea,  but  on  the  whole  making  very 
fair  progress.  As  good  success  as  we  have  had 
thus  far  would  take  us  to  Singapore  in  twenty 
days,  and  1  should  be  pretty  well  satisfied  to  be 
assured  we  should  be  no  longer.  My  situation,  on 
the  whole,  is  tolerably  pleasant ;  though  I  do  some- 
times feel  sadly  out  of  sorts.  In  the  Huntress, 
when  I  had  no  other  employment,  1  could  sit  and 
watch  our  sailors ;  they  were  always  busy,  either 
working,  or  talking,  or  reading ;  and  what  they  did, 
the}^  seemed  to  do  heartily.  But  these  Lascars  are 
the  poorest  set  of  human  creatures  I  have  ever 
seen ;  they  are  not  to  be  compared  to  the  Chinese. 
There  must  be  near  fifty  of  them  aboard,  though 
the  vessel  is  not  much  more  than  half  as  large  as 
the  Huntress,  which  had  only  twenty  men  and 
boys ;  and  yet  these  fifty  do  not  do  their  work  half 
as  well  as  those  twenty.  So  many  of  them  seize 
hold  of  a  rope,  that  they  are  actually  in  each  other's 
way,  and  they  pull  as  if  they  were  afraid  of  hurting 
the  rope's  feelings.  And  then,  so  dirty;  I  have 
not  seen  one  of  them  with  a  clean  article  of  dress 
since  I  came  on  board.  I  must  except  the  carpen- 
ter, who  is  a  pretty  decent  looking-fellow.  He  is  a 
Chinaman.  It  does  me  good  to  look  at  him.  I  do 
not  want  to  see  our  butler  at  all,  however,  and  least 
of  all  when  I  am  eating, — with  his  soiled  turban  and 
faded  shawl,  dirty  trowsers,  and  apparently  un- 
washed face  and  hands.  I  was  always  fond  of 
potatoes,  but  I  like  them  now  better  than  ever,  for 
they  come  to  the  table  with  their  coats  on,  and  I  am 
sure  they  are  clean ;  cannot  say  the  same  of  any- 
thing else  at  table.  But,  a  man  must  eat,  and  there 
is  no  use  of  being  so  squeamish ;  besides,  I  am 
usually  hungry  at  breakfast  time,  half-past  eight, 
and  at  dinner,  half-past  two;  and  these  are  the  only 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  Ill 

meals  I  eat.  At  tea  I  take  but  little,  the  tea  is  so 
abominable  that  I  can  not  drink  it.  And  the  dry 
ship  biscuit,  the  only  bread  we  have,  is  not  very 
inviting  by  itself. 

I  could  bear  these  little  matters  if  other  things 
were  right.  Our  officers  are  to  me  quite  gentle- 
manly, and  personally,  I  have  no  complaint ;  but, 
they  evidently  consider  the  men  as  of  an  inferior 
caste.  And  the  men  feel  that  they  are  looked  upon 
as  such.  Some  of  the  men  have  rather  fine  coun- 
tenances, but  almost  all  of  them  betray  vacant 
minds,  or,  at  least,  minds  filled  only  with  the  least 
important  cares  of  this  passing  and  perishing  world. 
How  can  I  be  sufficiently  grateful  that  I  am  made 
to  differ  from  them?  As  to  rehgious  services,  at 
present  there  are  none ;  and  this,  more  than  any- 
thing else,  makes  me  feel  alone.  The  most  pleasant 
occupation  I  have,  is  to  spend  an  hour  every  morn- 
ing in  teaching  Chun  Sing  the  New  Testament,  and 
the  Shorter  Catechism.  And  perhaps  I  may  give 
another  hour  hereafter  to  other  studies.  Then  I 
read  Hengstenberg's  Christology,  History  of  Scot- 
land, The  Middle  Ages,  &c. ;  study  a  little  Chinese, 
and  about  China,  &c.  I  write  some  every  day ; 
expect  to  have  a  host  of  letters  written  when  I  get 
to  Singapore  ;  and  if  a  vessel  should  be  going  thence 
to  the  United  States  direct,  they  will  arrive  sooner 
than  those  I  wrote  at  Macao. 

The  thermometer  has  stood  about  84°  all  week ; 
to-day,  85°,  but  owing  to  the  strength  of  the  wind, 
the  air  has  been  quite  pleasant.  Numerous  flocks 
of  flying-fish  are  constantly  starting  up,  as  our  ves- 
sel in  her  course  disturbs  them.  What  immense 
numbers  there  must  be !  We  probably  startle  some 
thousands  every  day,  and  yet  the  course  of  our  ship 
is  a  very  narrow  line  in  the  midst  of  a  very  wide 
sea.  Sea  sights  have  lost  much  of  their  novelt}^  for 
me  now,  and  I  have  to  seek  amusement  and  employ- 
ment principally  in  myself.  It  is  well  for  me  that 
I  can  do  so,  and  still  better  that  there  is  One  above 


112  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

me  to  whom  I  can  always  go.  For  three  or  four 
clays  after  the  A^oyage  commenced,  I  could  hardly 
bear  the  thoughts  of  its  lasting  thirty  or  forty 
days ; — but  now  I  am  disposed  to  say  with  cheer- 
fulness, "  The  Lord  reigns,  let  the  earth  rejoice !" 
Let  him  hasten  or  retard  the  end  of  this  voj^age,  as 
seems  best  to  himself,  for  He  doeth  all  things  well. 
Sabbath  evening,  June  26th.  At  the  close  of  a 
silent  Sabbath,  my  thoughts  turn  back  to  the  land 
of  my  birth,  and  1  cannot  help  asking,  how  are  you 
all?  And  what  are  you  doing?  In  a  few  hours  I 
suppose  you  will  be  going  up  to  the  house  of  God. 
You  have  opportunities  of  communion  with  fellow 
Christians.  Your  hearts  are  cheered  at  the  sight  of 
churches,  and  though  pained  at  the  prevalence  of 
wickedness,  yet  you  can  believe  that  the  Lord  has 
much  people  around  you.  It  is  not  so  here.  I  am 
alone,  as  far  as  Christian  societ}^  is  concerned,  and 
almost  alone  as  far  as  any  society  is  concerned; 
surrounded  on  all  sides  by  lands  where  there  is  no 
Sabbath,  few  churches,  few  Christians.  In  such  a 
situation  I  find  it  a  very  hard  thing  to  keep  up  the 
life  of  religion.  At  home  one  depends  for  the  state 
of  his  religious  feehngs  very  much  on  the  general 
tone  of  the  churches  around  him;  here  there  is 
nothing  of  the  kind  to  depend  upon.  Perhaps  this 
is  an  advantage,  for  it  causes  one  to  feel  more  entire- 
ly his  dependence  on  God,  the  great  Author  of  all 
true  religious  emotions;  but  it  is  hard  at  first,  to 
become  reconciled  to  such  a  state  of  things,  and  like 
David  of  old,  I  can  weU  say,  ''I  had  rather  be  a 
door-keeper  in  the  house  of  my  God,  than  to  dwell 
in  the  tents  of  wickedness."  When  you  go  up  with 
the  great  congregation  to  worship  God,  do  not  forget 
those  that  are  in  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  that  are 
far  off  upon  the  sea.  True,  God,  your  God,  is  our 
confidence ;  but  it  is  pleasant  to  think  that  we  are 
thought  of  by  3^ou,  in  the  midst  of  your  privileges. 
The  tears  fill  my  eyes,  and  my  heart  is  full,  when  I 
think  of  you  and  your  enjoyments;  but  I  have  no 


lilEMOm   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  113 

wish  to  go  back.  Blessed  be  the  name  of  Christ  for 
that  precious  promise,  "Lo,  I  am  with  you  always." 

And  yet  it  is  good  to  be  in  such  circumstances 
occasionally.  There  are  passages  of  Scripture  that 
cannot  be  understood  otherwise.  I  have  often  read 
over,  and  dwelt  upon  the  eighty-fourth  Psalm,  and 
yet  all  my  previous  meditations,  and  all  the  com- 
mentaries I  have  read  upon  it,  have  not  shown  me 
its  sAveetness  and  beauty,  so  much  as  this  day's  ex- 
perience. 

Truly,  "  Blessed  are  they  that  dwell  in  thy  house ; 
they  will  be  still  praising  thee."  But  those  who 
enjoy  these  external  privileges,  do  not  monopolize 
all  the  blessings.  ''Blessed  is  the  man  whose 
strength  is  in  thee,  in  whose  heart  are  the  ways  of 
them."  Even  in  the  most  unfavourable  circumstan- 
ces, when  far  removed  from  the  refreshing  dews  of 
God's  house,  they  shall  enjoy  his  favour.  "  Passing 
through  the  valley  of  Baca,  (weeping,  Bochim,)  he 
maketh  it  a  well;  the  rain  also  filleth  the  pools." 
("As  the  rain  cometh  down  from  heaven,  so  is  my 
word,"&c.)  Such  are  the  consolations  of  wanderers 
here;  and  hereafter,  after  they  have  gone  from 
strength  to  strength,  "Every  one  of  them  in  Zion 
appeareth  before  God."  Such  truths  and  encour- 
agements may  well  strengthen  a  lonely  wanderer 
to  run  with  patience  the  race  set  before  him ;  and 
while  he  cannot  but  feel,  that  a  day  in  the  Lord's 
courts  is  better  than  a  thousand,  yet  even  here  "  the 
Lord  God  is  a  sun  and  shield;  no  good  thing  doth 
he  withold  from  them  that  walk  uprightly."  How 
far  superior  is  such  a  lot  to  that  of  the  proudest  of 
this  world's  favourites!  Truly  "my  soul  doth  mag- 
nify the  Lord,  and  my  spirit  rejoiceth  in  God  my 
Saviour." 

Monday,  June  27th.  I  did  not  expect  to  have 
been  becalmed  in  the  strength  of  the  monsoon; 
but  we  are.  Have  hardl}''  gone  twenty  miles  in  the 
last  twenty  hours.  I  do  not  think,  however,  it  Avill 
last  long,  but  it  tries  the  captain's  patience  a  good 

10* 


114  MEMOIR   OF  WALTER   M.    LOWREE. 

deal.  I  have  been  busy  to-day,  and  happy,  though 
alone. 

Tuesday,  June  28th.  We  made  eight  miles 
yesterday,  and  from  present  appearances  shall  not 
make  much  more  to-day;  though  a  little  squall  we 
had  this  afternoon,  may  haA^e  carried  us  on  perhaps 
five  miles.  I  was  very  glad  the  squall  came,  for  in 
the  ram  our  dirty  Lascars  got  a  washing,  that  im- 
proves their  appearance  very  much.  I  have  now 
got  to  feel  pretty  well  contented  and  at  home,  but 
would  notwithstanding  be  very  glad  to  be  at  Singa- 
pore, and  better  pleased  still  to  be  at  Macao,  or 
some  place  nearer  China. 

As  you  wanted  to  know  what  we  live  on,  I  will 
give  you  the  account  of  one  day's  fare.  It  has  been 
precisely  the  same,  every  day  since  I  came  on 
board.  Breakfist,  at  half-past  eight ;  tea,  fowl  or 
duck,  salt  beef,  salt  tongue,  potatoes,  rice  and  curry, 
guava  jam.  Our  only  bread  is  ship-biscuit.  For 
dinner,  at  half-past  two;  soup,  commonly  pea  soup, 
fowl  or  duck,  salt  beef,  salt  tongue,  potatoes,  rice 
and  curry,  pudding,  generally  of  some  kind  of  dough 
and  rather  heavy,  cheese,  preserved  ginger,  or  some 
similar  sweetmeats.  For  tea,  at  six  o'clock ;  tea 
and  biscuit.  I  have  a  wonderful  appetite  at  present, 
and  eat  my  salt  beef  and  potatoes  with  very  great 
relish.  I  suppose  the  above  bill  of  fare  will  last  all 
the  voyage,  unless  the  fowls  and  ducks  should  hap- 
pen to  give  out. 

AVednesday,  June  29 th.  With  reading  and 
writing  and  eating  and  sleeping,  my  time  passes 
quite  comfortably,  though  I  often  catch  myself 
wishing  to  be  at  Singapore.  Yet  there  is  no  use 
of  being  impatient.  M}^  principal  reason  for  wishing 
to  be  at  Singapore  soon,  is  that  I  may  the  sooner  be 
at  my  appointed  business.  But  surely  the  Master 
on  whose  business  I  am  sent,  knows  best  when  I 
ought  to  be  there,  and  it  is  in  his  power  to  hasten 
or  retard  my  arrival.  He  holds  the  winds,  and  can 
cause  them  to  waft  me  on  speedily,  if  he  sees  best. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  115 

If  he  does  not  choose  to  have  it  so,  certainly  he 
has  wise  reasons  for  doing  as  he  does,  and  I  ought 
contentedly  to  submit.  With  such  considerations, 
I  try  to  allay  the  impatience  I  sometimes  feel,  at 
being  delayed  by  these  calms. 

Saturday,  July  2d.  Still  progressing  slowly. 
Had  calms  every  day  of  greater  or  less  duration, 
from  Sabbath  till  to-day.  Though,  as  we  commonly 
had  a  little  wind  at  night,  and  that  such  a  wind  as 
enabled  us  to  proceed  directly  on  our  course,  we 
have  probably  gone  quite  as  far  as  w^e  should  have 
done,  had  the  monsoon  been  blowing  in  its  strength. 
Yesterday  we  did  uncommonly  w^ell.  We  had  a  good 
breeze  during  the  night,  that  carried  us  eighty  miles 
directly  towards  Singapore.  To-day  we  are  going 
perhaps  faster,  but  not  so  directly;  we  are  running 
now  between  south-east  and  south,  or  to  speak 
according  to  the  compass,  we  are  going  S.  S.  E. 
Having  been  pretty  busy,  my  time  has  passed  away 
rapidly  and  pleasantly,  though  I  do  at  times  feel 
the  monotony  of  this  voyage  quite  sensibly,  and 
often  think  of  the  Huntress.  To  increase  my  plea- 
sure, the  captain  said  that  tw^o  months  ago,  as  he 
was  going  from  Singapore  to  Macao,  he  w^as  be- 
calmed ten  whole  days  in  sight  of  a  small  island 
near  Singapore,  and  he  believed  he  was  fated  to 
make  long  voyages  in  the  China  Sea.  There !  w^hile 
I  am  writing  I  see  the  sails  flapping  against  the 
masts,  and  w^e  are  becalmed  again!  What  is  so 
helpless  a  thing  as  a  ship  at  sea  in  a  calm?  How 
vain  is  all  human  powder  in  such  a  case!  and  oh, 
how  much  more  dreadful,  is  the  spiritual  case  of 
those  w^ho  are  deprived  of  the  influences  of  that 
Spirit,  wdiich  is  like  the  wdnd  that  bloweth  where 
it  hsteth !  If  Christians  were  half  as  anxious  to  ob- 
tain the  influences  of  the  Spirit,  as  sailors  are  to 
catch  the  breeze,  what  a  different  appearance  the 
church  would  have  ! 

Wednesday,  July  6th.  The  calm  I  spoke  of  Satur- 
day p.  M.  lasted  but  a  few  minutes,  and  we  have 


116  MEMOIR  OF  WALTER  M.  LOWRIE. 

had  the  monsoon  strong  ever  since ;  strong  wmd, 
heavy  sea,  and  slow  progress.  Yesterday  we  went 
fifteen  miles  west  and  fifteen  south ;  to-day,  thirty 
miles  west  and  twenty  north;  so  that,  as  far  as 
latitude  is  concerned,  we  are  worse  off  than  we 
were  two  days  ago.  This  morning  the  wind  was  so 
strong  that  it  broke  our  main  top-gallant-mast,  and 
the  men  have  been  all  day  employed  making  a  new 
one.  There  has  been  so  much  motion  yesterday 
and  to-day,  and  that  of  so  unpleasant  a  kind,  that 
I  could  not  study  Chinese.  Just  as  I  get  my  pen- 
cil ready  to  make  a  neat  stroke,  away  goes  the  ship ; 
and  while  I  am  busy  holding  to  whatever  I  can 
catch,  the  ship  staggers  off,  and  leans  over  on  the 
other  side,  and  a  wave  rushes  in  at  one  of  the  lee 
ports.  Still,  on  we  dash  on  our  foaming  way,  and 
as  yet  no  harm  has  befallen  any  of  us.  My  situa- 
tion is  as  pleasant  as  that  of  any  on  board,  indeed 
more  so ;  a  good  large  room,  plenty  to  eat  and  Avear, 
plenty  of  books  and  papers,  and  at  present  no 
responsibihty.  Yet  1  would  like  to  be  at  the  end 
of  this  voyage.  We  have  now  been  out  sixteen 
days,  and  are  not  half  way  yet. 

These  poor  Lascai^  have  rather  a  hard  life ;  their 
only  food  is  rice,  with  a  very  little  curry.  They 
sit  on  thQ  deck,  and  eat  with  their  fingers,  three  or 
four  out  of  the  same  dish.  They  sleep  on  deck,  in 
the  open  air,  with  only  a  coarse  piece  of  flannel  for 
a  covering.  No  provision  at  all  is  made  for  their 
accommodation  in  the  "  country  ships,"  no  forecastle 
nor  berths.  If  it  rains,  they  must  let  it  rain,  and 
sleep  through  it,  or  else  keep  awake.  All  hands 
are  employed  all  day,  and  no  watches  are  kept,  as 
on  board  vessels  manned  by  English  or  Americans. 
They  may  sleep  all  night,  unless  they  are  wanted, 
when  the  "tindals,"  or  overseers,  of  whom  there 
are  four,  answering  to  boatswain  and  boatsAvain's 
mates,  sound  their  whistles,  and  call  all  hands.  Six 
of  them,  however,  at  a  time,  watch  for  two  hours 
during  the  night;  and  when  the  bells  are  struck, 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  117 

every  half-hour,  the  one  nearest  raises  a  yell,  for  I 
can  call  it  nothing  else,  which  is  repeated  by  the 
next,  and  so  on  through  the  whole  six.  This  is  to 
show  that  they  are  aAvake ;  but,  for  all  the  watch 
they  keep,  they  might  as  well  be  asleep. 

The  ''glorious  fourth''  passed  away  without  a  word 
being  said  on  the  subject.  I  thought  of  it,  and  of 
the  last  fourth  of  July  I  had  spent  at  Marshall, 
Michigan,  and  how  little  I  then  expected  to  have 
ever  been  tossing  about  on  the  China  Sea.  Who 
knows  what  a  day  may  bring  forth  ? 

Saturday,  July  9th.  The  close  of  the  third  week 
of  our  voyage,  and  we  hardly  can  say  that  we  have 
gone  half  way !  We  have  come  ten  degrees  of  lati- 
tude, but  we  have  ten  degrees  more  of  latitude,  and 
eight  of  longitude,  still  to  traverse :  if  we  run  west, 
we  cannot  go  south ;  if  we  run  south,  we  must  also 
run  east;  thus  making  our  distance  in  longitude 
greater.  But  why  should  I  complain?  If  hope  is 
deferred,  should  my  heart  be  made  sick  thereby, 
when  I  know  that  a  Father's  kind  hand  defers  it  ? 
I  felt  greatly  reproved  this  afternoon,  as  I  sat  on 
the  stern,  and  saAv  a  large  sea-fowl  slowly  sailing 
over  the  waters.  Our  heavenly  Father  cares  for  it, 
and  feeds  it,  even  on  these  wide  and  rolhng  waters. 
Am  not  I  of  more  value  than  many  such  ?  Is  not 
the  work  I  am  engaged  in  more  for  his  glory,  than 
the  preservation  and  sustenance  of  the  fowls  of  the 
air  and  the  fish  of  the  sea?  And  if  he  cares  for 
them,  will  he  not  much  more  care  for  me  and  cany 
me  on?  Surely  he  knoweth  what  is  best  for  me, 
and  most  for  his  own  glory.  I  will  therefore  com- 
mit my  way  unto  the  Lord,  and  trust  also  in  him. 
He  will  bring  it  to  pass.  Forgive  me,  dear  mother, 
if  I  bring  these  things  improperly  to  your  eye;  I 
have  no  one  here  of  kindred  spirit  with  myself,  and 
it  is  pleasant,  even  though  on  paper,  and  afar  off',  to 
give  utterance  to  sentiments  that  I  know  will  find 
a  response  in  your  own  feelings.  It  seems  to  me, 
were  I  once  more  in  the  society  of  fellow-christians, 


118  MEMOm    OF   WALTER   M.    LO^VRIE. 

1  should  prize  much  more  highly  than  I  have  ever 
done,  the  opportunity  of  talking  of  these  things, — 
of  ^'speaking  one  to  another." 

Monday,  July  11th.  For  two  days  we  have 
been  running  west,  and  have  made  over  three  de- 
grees; hut  a  strong  current  yesterday  carried  us 
more  than  a  degree  to  the  north  of  our  position  on 
Saturday.  The  officers  are  begmning  to  shake  their 
heads,  and  predict  a  long  passage.  We  haA^e  all,  I 
think,  made  up  our  minds  to  six  weeks  instead  of 
four.  The  mate  told  me  to-day,  that  the  Sea  Queen 
had  never  had  a  Mr  ^vind  for  a  whole  day  since  she 
was  launched,  about  fifteen  months  since !  How- 
ever, I  do  not  know  but  that  this  voyage  wdll  prove 
a  very  profitable  one  to  me.  It  reminds  me  of  sev- 
eral facts  that  had  almost  entirely  escaped  from  my 
memory.  I  had  quite  forgotten  that  the  Apostle 
Paul,  after  being  in  journeyings  often,  in  weariness, 
in  painfulness,  &c.,  had  also  "thrice  been  ship- 
WTecked,  and  spent  a  night  and  a  day  in  the  deep." 
So  it  seems  even  the  best  of  missionaries  did  not  es- 
cape from  some  troubles  on  the  seas.  I  wonder  if  he 
had  as  fine  a  state-room  as  I  have,  and  whether,  in 
his  voyages,  he  had  to  live  on  salt  provisions  and 
hard  biscuit !  We  have  no  journals  nor  diaries  and 
the  like,  from  the  times  of  the  Apostles,  to  tell  us 
how  they  managed  on  such  occasions ;  but  the  more 
I  think  of  the  "matter,  the  more  I  am  inclined  to 
believe  that  I  am  better  off  as  to  outward  things, 
than  Paul,  or  almost  any  of  his  fellow-labourers; 
and  therefore,  so  far,  I  nave  not  much  reason  to 
complain.  Still,  1  must  say,  I  should  not  be  sorry 
to  exchange  this  ship's  fare  for  a  short  residence  in 
Singapore.  However,  the  Huntress  has  spoiled  me. 
The^  Sea  Queen  is  a  great  deal  better  ship  than  the 
Anna  Watson,  in  which  Mr.  McBride  went  to  Amoy. 

I  have  since  found  a  passage  of  Scripture  much 
more  to  the  point  than  the  one  above.  Acts  xxvii.  7. 
''And  wlien  we  had  sailed  slowly  many  days,  and 
scarce  were  come  over  against  Cnidus,  the  wind 


MEMOIR    OP   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  119" 

not  suffering  us,"  &c.  It  has  taken  such  hold  of 
me,  that  I  have  laid  it  up  for  future  consideration. 

We  had  quite  a  gale  last  night,  with  a  very  heavy 
sea ;  so  much  tossing  and  pitching,  that  I  scarcely- 
slept  the  whole  night.  For  the  time  it  lasted,  it 
w^as  more  uncomfortable  than  the  gale  off  St.  Paufs, 
where  we  had  to  lie  to  for  twelve  hours.  We  were 
almost  lying  to,  the  greater  part  of  the  last  night, 
but  now  (p.  M.)  we  are  going  on  rather  pleasantly. 

Monday,  July  18th.  About  six  a.  m.,  on  Satur- 
day, the  wind  rose  again  with  great  force,  and  it 
was  the  middle  of  the  day,  yesterday,  before  it 
abated.  In  the  gale  on  Friday,  the  wind  spht  our 
fore-topsail  and  jib,  and  others  had  to  be  put  up  in 
their  places.  On  Saturday  the  wind  spht  the  second 
fore-topsail,  main-topsail,  and  spanker.  Ship  rolled 
prodigiously,  and  for  a  while  thmgs  looked  rather 
dark,  as  you  may  well  suppose.  A  strong  gale  and 
heavy  sea,  and  the  wind  dead  ahead,  are  not  very 
pleasant  things.  At  the  middle  of  the  day  on  Satur- 
day, we  were  not  more  than  one  degree  further  on 
our  course  than  we  were  seven  days  before ;  with 
a  slight  variation,  we  might  almost  have  adopted 
Peter's  words :  "  We  have  toiled  aU  night  and 
caught  nothing." 

The  wdnd  is  such  to-day,  that  we  could  go  almost 
in  a  south  course — S.  by  E. — but  unfortunately 
there  are  a  number  of  shoals  in  that  direction,  and 
this  wind  w^ould  carry  us  among  them  in  twelve 
hours ;  consequently,  w^e  are  obliged  to  put  off  to 
the  north-west,  and  the  wind  being  strong,  we  "  lose 
a  point"  in  our  course,  by  lee-way.  Such  are  some 
of  the  troubles  of  the  voyager's  life.  Do  not  forget 
to  pray  for  the  sailor. 

Tuesday,  July  19th.  Wind  more  favourable  still; 
we  can  go  south,  and  sometimes  even  S.  by  W., 
but  being  still  too  near  the  shoals  have  to  run  W., 
and  N.  W.  by  N.,  more  than  half  the  time.  Yes- 
terday was  the  best  day's  work  we  have  made  in  a 
long  time,  thirty  miles  west  and  sixteen  south, 


120  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

equal  to  about  thirty-tliree  on  our  course,  i.  e.,  if 
the  captain's  observation  was  a  good  one,  of  which 
he  is  doubtful.  We  are  now  very  seriously  ex- 
pecting that  our  trip  will  be  of  two  months,  instead 
of  one  month.  But  the  Lord  reigneth.  I  trust  1 
can  rejoice  thereat.  We  certainly  have  evidence 
that  lie  is  watching  over  us.  To-day,  as  I  was 
lying  on  the  transom,  (there  has  been  so  much  mo- 
tion for  a  week,  that  it  is  very  unpleasant  to  sit, 
and  I  spend  more  than  half  the  time  lying  down,) 
very  quietly  reading  one  of  Irving's  sketches,  I  heard 
a  great  and  unusual  cry  on  deck.  As  it  continued, 
I  ran  out  and  found  a  man  had  fallen  from  the  bow- 
sprit into  the  sea.  Most  providentially,  he  caught 
one  of  the  ropes  throw^n  to  him,  before  the  ship  had 
gone  too  far,  and  was  drawn  in.  The  sea  was  so 
rough,  that  the  captain  could  hardly  have  let  a  boat 
down  for  him.  Had  it  been  night;  had  the  sea  been 
rougher ;  had  he  fallen  on  the  other  side  of  the  ves- 
sel, where  the  waves  w^ould  have  carried  him  from 
her;  had  he  not  been  able  to  grasp  the  rope;  in  any 
of  these  cases  he  would  have  been  lost.     But  the 

Eoor  heathen,  if  he  thinks  at  all  about  it,  will  ascribe 
is  escape  to  chance,  or  to  some  of  his  idols,  as  blind 
and  helpless  as  chance.  These  poor  felloAvs  have  a 
great  horror  of  the  sea.  It  is  only  for  high  wages 
that  they  will  serve  as  sailors.  These  men  get  four- 
teen rupees  monthly,  or  nearly  seven  dollars,  a  large 
sum  for  such  sailors ;  and  after  all,  the  greater  part 
of  the  crews  of  the  "  country  ships"  are  impressed 
by  force,  and  carried  off  without  their  own  consent. 
July  21st.  Here  we  are,  fifty  miles  north  and 
thirty  miles  w^est  of  our  station  day  before  yester- 
day. Quite  a  gale  came  on  yesterday  afternoon, 
and  we  have  been  almost  lying  to  for  twenty-four 
hours.  We  have  one  duck,  and  ten  fowls  left,  and 
nearly  a  certainty  of  having  only  salt  meat  for  a 
few  Aveeks  to  come,  unless  Providence  so  order  it 
that  we  get  to  Singapore  next  week,  which  might 
be  done,  even  in  this  monsoon,  under  favourable  cir 


MEMOIR   OP   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  121 

cumstances.  The  captain  has  begun  to  talk  of  al- 
lowances of  wood,  water  and  provisions.  Outward 
things  look  gloomy.  I  do  not  say  these  things  by 
way  of  complaint,  for  I  feel  less  disposed  to  com- 
plain now,  than  at  any  previous  part  of  the  voyage, 
but  to  give  you  some  idea  of  our  situation.  As  to 
myself,  I  find  the  promises  increasingly  precious, 
and  I  think  I  shall  soon  have  Acts  xxvii.  by  heart. 
It  becomes  more  and  more  instructive.  Still,  hope 
has  not  yet  left  me,  that  we  may  make  a  reason- 
able voyage  as  to  time,  though  the  prospect  is 
more  and  more  discouraging.  Such  times  as  these, 
head  winds,  tossing  tempests,  and  adverse  currents, 
make  me  think  of  that  happy  place,  where  "there 
is  no  more  sea." 

The  most  unpleasant  thing  about  our  present 
situation,  is  its  uncertainty.  We  may  have  a  favour- 
able wind  to-morrow,  and  soon  reach  our  "desired 
haven."  We  may  toss  about  here  for  weeks,  and 
at  last  not  be  able  to  make  the  port  after  all.  But 
"the  Lord  reigns,  let  the  earth  rejoice.  Clouds 
and  darkness  are  round  about  him,  but  righteous- 
ness and  judgment  are  the  habitation  of  his  throne." 

July  22d.  Worse  and  worse ;  after  running  for 
eighteen  hours  to  the  N.  W.  and  W.  N.  W.,  and  six 
hours  S.  S.  E.,  at  the  rate  of  four  miles  an  hour  all 
the  time,  we  find  ourselves  twenty  miles  north,  and 
ten  miles  east  of  our  station  yesterday !  The  cur- 
rent here  must  be  tremendous.  We  are  almost  at 
our  "  wits'  end."  We  have  noAV  been  beating  about 
for  a  week,  most  of  the  time  under  double-reefed 
topsails,  and  have  made  almost  no  progress.  Indeed, 
we  are  very  Httle  farther  on  than  we  were  two 
weeks  ago.  Yet  I  am  thankful  to  find  that  my  own 
mind  is  calm  and  peaceful  most  of  the  time.  I 
should  greatly  regret  to  be  obhged  to  put  back  to 
Macao;  and  should  be  most  heartily  glad  to  be  at 
Singapore,  or  to  be  assured  of  getting  there  in  three 
weeks;  but  it  is  the  Lord  who  has  "raised  the 
stormy  wind,"  and  he  has  wise  ends  in  view.  It  is 
11 


122  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRDS. 

not  very  comfortable  being  here.  My  health  may 
suffer  for  want  of  exercise  ;  there  being  so  much  mo- 
tion, it  is  hardly  possible,  with  safety,  to  take  any ; 
the  affairs  of  the  mission  may  be  retarded  somewhat 
by  my  detention ;  Dr.  Hepburn  may  be  in  need  of 
the  funds  I  have  with  me,  so  may  Mr.  Buell ;  our 
removal  to  China,  should  that  be  resolved  on,  may 
be  delayed  a  good  while,  &c. ;  but  all  these  things 
are  known  to  Him  who  controls  my  course,  and  lie 
wall  care  for  his  own  cause.     Cowper's  hymn^ 

*'  God  moYes  in  a  mysterious  way," 

is  a  very  precious  one,  especially  the  last  lines : 

**  God  is  his  own  interpreter, 
And  he  will  make  it  plain." 

Saturday,  July  23d.  Twenty  miles  to  the  east  of 
our  station  yesterday ;  same  latitude. 

Monday,  July  25th.  I  see  the  China  sea  in  an 
entirely  different  aspect  this  voyage,  from  what  it 
was  in  May,  when  w^e  went  up.  Then  all  was 
calm;  now  all  is  stormy.  We  are  lying  to  to-day 
again,  after  splitting  three  or  four  more  sails.  Yes- 
terday and  to-day  have  been  so  cloudy  as  to  allow 
no  observation,  and  we  know  not  where  we  are.  I 
almost  begin  to  doubt  whether  we  shall  arrive  at 
Singapore  at  all,  during  this  monsoon.  We  have 
now  been  out  the  usual  time  required  to  make  the 
trip,  and  the  prospect  is  darker  than  ever.  The 
captain  talks  of  going  to  Manilla  to  lay  in  fresh 
stores.  We  shall  be  obliged  to  do  this  before  long, 
if  we  do  not  soon  arrive  at  Singapore,  as  we  have 
provisions  for  but  little  more  than  a  month  longer. 
However,  I  am  not  discouraged.  "Jehovah  Jireh, 
In  the  mount  it  shall  be  seen. '  God  is  accustomed 
to  reveal  himself  when  his  creatures  are  at  their 
greatest  extremities.  I  have  been  comparing  my 
condition  with  that  of  the  Lascars  on  board ;  ill-fed, 
ill-clothed,  ill-treated,  working  hard,  few  social,  no 
intellectual,  and,  worse  than  all,  no  spiritual  privi- 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  123 

leges.  How  much  is  my  condition  better  than 
theirs ! 

Friday,  July  29th.  We  are  now  near  two  hundred 
miles  further  north  than  we  were  last  week,  and 
about  sixty  miles  further  from  Singapore  than  we 
were  fifteen  days  ago.  I  thought  that  I  undertook 
this  voyage  in  obedience  to  the  intimations  of  Pro- 
vidence, but  hitherto  they  have  almost  all  been 
against  us.  One  gale  this  week  drove  us  eighty 
miles  to  the  northward  in  less  than  twenty  hours; 
head  winds  and  adverse  currents  make  it  nearly 
impossible  to  proceed.  Our  provisions  will  last  us 
but  a  month  longer,  and  it  would  require  almost  all 
that  time  in  favourable  circumstances  to  make  the 
remainder  of  our  voyage. 

To  be  sure  all  anxiety,  even  on  these  points,  is 
quieted  hj  the  recollection  that  Christ  is  "head 
over  all  things  for  the  church,"  and  that  all  things 
shall  work  together  for  good,  to  them  that  love 
Grod ;  but  sometimes  I  forget  these  things.  *  I  would 
not  wiUingly  undertake  another  such  voyage  as  this, 
and  yet  I  must  say,  so  great  have  been  the  benefits 
which  I  have  received  from  this  trial,  that  they  far 
more  than  counterbalance  all  the  inconveniences 
hitherto  endured.  Still  we  are  not  required  to  seek 
afflictions,  and  I  should  greatly  rejoice  to  be  once 
more  on  sohd  ground;  yet  while  detained  I  hope  to 
be  sustained. 

Saturday,  July  30th.  The  pleasantest  day  we 
have  had  for  weeks :  a  light  clear  sky,  blue  sea, 
little  motion,  and  pleasant  breeze.  At  noon,  the 
captain  put  his  head  into  my  room,  crying,  with 
great  glee,  "  Hurrah,  she  springs  it  again  I  We  have 
made  ten  miles  southing !"  The  first  time  we  have 
been  able  to  get  to  the  south  for  a  week,  though  we 
have  had  more  favourable  winds.  This  is  a  "httle 
reviving  in  our  bondage,"  among  these  currents.    If 

*  I  am  not  quite  suxe  that  I  recollect  right,  but  I  think  Bunyan 
makes  Mr.  Forget-good  Mayor  of  Mansoul  in  place  of  my  Lord  Under- 
standing, vrhich  is  very  appropriate. 


124  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

it  will  only  continue !  In  a  case  like  this,  one  is  in 
danger  either  of  building  too  much  on  such  a  pros- 
pect as  we  have  to-day,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  of 
''despising  the  day  of  small  things,"  and  being 
cast  down,  because  it  is  no  better. 

I  was  much  struck  with  Isa.  xxvi.  4,  yesterday 
evening.  The  literal  translation  of  the  HebrcAV  is, 
"Trust  ye  in  Jehovah  even  for  ever,  for  in  Jah 
Jehovah  is  the  rock  of  unending  ages."  No  trans- 
lation, however,  can  give  the  force  of  the  original. 
It  is,  I  think,  even  more  emphatic  than  "  the  five 
negatives,"  Ileb.  xiii.  5,  on  which  you  may  have 
seen  some  very  dehghtful  remarks  in  Nevins's  Prac- 
tical Thoughts.  I  think  if  I  ever  know  enough  of 
Chinese  to  be  of  any  service  in  translating  the  Bible 
into  it,  I  shall  find  it  a  very  pleasant  employment. 
I  find  that  in  proportion  as  I  closely  examine 
almost  any  passage,  it  presents  gems  more  and  more 
sparkling.  Thus,  in  the  above  passage,  in  addition 
to  the  triple  mention  of  the  name  Jehovah,  the 
peculiar  name  of  God,  as  the  Covenant  God  of  his 
people,  the  first  "for  ever"  is  literally  "  eternities  of 
eternity;"  and  the  last  expression  is  "the  rock  of 
everlastings."  Well  might  the  Psalmist  (Ps.  cxLiv. 
15,)  say,  "Happy  is  that  people"  (literally,  0  the 
blessednesses  of  that  people,)  "whose  God  is 
Jehovahr 

Monday,  Aug.  1st.    Delightful  weather  and  fair 

Erogress;  yesterda}^,  forty-six  miles  direct;  to-day, 
fty-six  to  the  east,  and  three  to  the  south;  and 
wind  getting  more  fiivourable.  If  this  weather  con- 
tinues, we  hope  to  be  in  Singapore  in  less  than  three 
weeks. 

Tuesday,  Aug.  2d.  Still  progressing  at  a  very 
fair  rate.  Saw  the  coast  of  Cochin  China  to-day, 
about  thirty  or  forty  miles  off.  It  is  high  and  moun- 
tainous, but  we  have  not  gone  near  enough  to  see  its 
features  very  distinctly.  The  part  we  saw  was  Cape 
Varela,  or  the  Pagoda  Cape — so  called  from  a  very 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  125 

large  rock  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  just  behind 
the  cape.     It  has  a  very  singular  appearance. 

Saturday,  Aug.  6th.  After  going  on  swimmingly 
for  four  or  five  days,  we  found  ourselves  beset  by  a 
current  yesterday,  which  became  very  strong  to-day, 
and  has  sent  us  a  long  way  to  the  eastward.  This 
casts  rather  a  damp  over  our  spirits.  Where  we  are 
now,  Lat.  11°,  is  the  narrowest  part  of  the  sea,  and 
if  we  meet  a  current  anywhere  it  is  likely  to  be 
here.  Could  we  only  get  two  degrees  further  down, 
we  should  probably  be  safe  enough.  To-day  finishes 
our  forty-ninth  da}^,  and  yet  we  are  hardly  more 
than  half  way ;  yet  the  weather  is  fine,  and  w^e  still 
hope  for  the  best,  though  I  assure  you  it  is  quite 
trying.  What  shall  the  end  of  these  things  be  ? 
Here  I  am  all  alone ;  no,  not  alone ;  for  God  is  here, 
and  He  whose  Providence  did  so  remarkably  arrest 
me  a  year  ago,  and  turn  my  course  from  Africa  to 
China,  and  has  brought  me  hitherto,  will  not  now 
desert  me.  Nothing  encourages  me  so  much  in 
regard  to  my  labours  in  this  mission,  as  the  recol- 
lection that  I  have  been  sent  here.  I  should 
never  have  come  of  my  own  free  choice ;  and  I  am 
sure  that  He  who  has  sent  me  has  work  for  me  to  do, 
for  which  he  will  strengthen  me.  It  may  be  he  has 
sufferings  for  me  to  endure,  and  though  the  thought 
of  them  almost  makes  me  tremble,  for  the  rod  I  have 
felt  on  this  voyage  has  been  hard  to  bear,  and  for 
the  present  grievous,  yet  will  his  grace  therein  be 
sufficient  for  me.  If  he  has  neither  work  for  me  to 
do,  nor  trials  for  me  to  bear,  then  my  course  is 
almost  done.  And  it  is  no  furtlier  from  this  rough 
sea  to  heaven,  than  from  the  soft  beds,  and  the  kind 
and  soothing  attentions  of  home;  and  never,  I  trust, 
either  in  this  world,  or  in  the  world  to  come,  shall  I 
regret  that  I  have  left  father  and  mother,  and 
brethren  and  sisters,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven's 
sake. 

I  could  wish  I  had  a  Christian  friend  near.  Even 
this  communion  with  you  on  paper,  wdth  "  pen  and 
11  ^ 


126  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

ink,"  when  I  ^'have  many  things  to  say,"  and  can 
^\Tite  but  a  very  few  of  them,  is  refreshing.  How 
often  I  think  of  you ! — of  the  hasty  breakfast  that 
morning;  how  Reuben  was  Uke  a  silent  cricket  all 
the  time ;  how  Jane  burst  into  tears  when  I  came 
away ;  of  the  meeting  in  the  Mission  rooms,  and  the 
kind  friends  there ;  of  the  walk  down  to  the  ship, 
when  the  sun  shone  out  so  clear ;  of  the  crowd,  and 
the  bustle,  and  the  hurry  there ;  the  farting  I  I 
can  see  you  yet,  waving  your  handkerchiefs  for  the 
last  time ;  brother  John's  last  blessing  yet  sounds 
in  my  ears;  and  I  think  how  poor  Elizabeth  was 
watching  over  Samuel's  sick  couch  at  the  time. 
Again,  I  see  you,  and  father,  and  Reuben.  Now, 
the  ship  has  moved,  and  I  see  you  no  more !  It  is 
too  much.  I  do  not  often  weep ;  but  sometimes : 
and  yet  they  are  not  tears  of  sorrow,  but  of  affection, 
and  fond  remembrance.  In  this  world  there  are  partr 
ings  and  sorrow.  In  this  world  there  is  perplexity 
and  disappointment;  in  this  world  we  "shaU  have 
tribulation."  But  in  heaven  there  is  no  more  part- 
ing, and  "no  more  sea;"  no  more  tribulation,  for 
"  sighing  and  sorrow  shaU  flee  away/'  not  go  away, 
hntflce  away. 

;?;  *  Hi  ♦  ^  *  * 

[The  rest  of  this  Journal  was  destroyed,  as  stated 
on  page  99.] 


llaniUa,  September  1st,  1842. 

My  Dear  Mother — .  .  .  When  my  journal  comes 
to  hand,  which  I  hope  it  Avill  before  very  long,  you 
will  have  a  fuller  account  of  the  various  adventures 
and  hair-breadth  escapes,  of  the  voyage  from  Macao 
to  this  place.  It  is  rough  and  uncouth  in  many 
ways,  but  it  has  been  a  companion  to  me  in  loneli- 
ness and  in  dangers,  and  in  pleasures.  It  made  me 
think  of  home  and  of  friends  when  the  storm  howled 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  127 

around  me,  and  the  billows  tossed  our  ship  as  if 
they  would  overwhehn  her  and  us  in  the  black 
gulf  beneath  us.  It  made  me  think  of  home,  too, 
in  the  calm  sunset  hour  at  sea,  and  it  brought  the 
tears  to  my  eyes  more  than  once,  as  the  quiet  hours 
of  the  Saturday  and  the  Sabbath  closed  around  me. 
I  have  laughed  over  some  of  its  little  tales,  and  wept 
over  others,  and  insensibly  it  grew  like  a  friend  in 
whose  welfare  I  was  deeply  interested,  and  when  I 
sat  in  my  silent  cabin  and  was  sorrowful  that  I  had 
no  friend  to  feel  for  me,  or  sympathize  with  me  in 
my  solitude,  I  laid  my  hand  upon  its  pages,  and 
said.  Wait  awhile ;  when  she  to  whom  it  is  addressed 
has  read  it,  I  shall  lack  no  sympathy ;  and  the  very 
anticipation  reheved  me.  Thus,  though  in  itself 
it  has  small  merit,  yet  its  associations  and  nameless 
influences  give  it  a  value  in  my  eyes,  that  I  trust 
will  not  be  wholly  wanting  with  you. 

The  houses  here  cover  a  great  extent  of  ground, 
and  are  two  stories  high ;  the  ground  floor  is  used 
for  offices,  storage,  servants'  rooms,  stables,  &c.,  and 
the  people  hve  on  the  second  floor.  A  verandah 
from  four  to  six  feet  wide  runs  all  round  the 
second  story  of  the  house ;  about  four  feet  of  the 
verandah  from  the  floor  is  boarded  up,  and  the  rest 
up  to  the  eaves  of  the  roof  is  occupied  by  sliding 
frames,  which  are  glazed,  if  I  may  use  that  word, 
with  mother-of-pearl  shells,  instead  of  glass.  The 
shells  are  cut  into  pieces  about  three  inches  square, 
and  being  semi-transparent,  admit  abundance  of 
light,  even  when  the  verandah  is  all  closed  up. 
Glass  windows  are  not  used  at  all,  and  as  there  is 
no  winter  here,  there  are  neither  stoves  nor  fire- 
places. Just  before  my  window  there  are  tAvo  or 
three  plantain  trees,  shooting  up  their  broad  leaves. 
One  of  the  leaves  before  me,  i  should  say,  is  nine 
feet  long,  and  two  feet  and  a  half  broad,  of  a  beau- 
tiful green,  and  gently  waving  with  the  wind.  By 
the  side  of  the  plantain  is  an  areka  tree,  with 
branches   of  leaves  of  a  much   darker   green,  the 


128  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

branch  of  leaves  being  about  half  as  long  as  a  single 
plantain  leaf.  Half  a  dozen  or  more  plantain  leaves 
grow  from  the  top  of  a  plantain  tree,  and  half  a 
dozen  branches  of  leaves  from  the  top  of  an  areka 
tree.  Among  the  leaves  of  the  areka  tree,  a  couple 
of  little  brown  sparrows  are  now  building  their 
nest;  beyond  these  are  a  few  troi)ical  plants, 
the  names  of  w^hich  I  do  not  know.  By  the  side 
of  the  house,  in  front  of  my  wdndow,  flows  a 
branch  of  the  river  Pasig,  in  which  I  see  a  cus- 
tom-house boat,  with  its  sail-cloth  awning;  seve- 
ral bankahs,  or  row-boats,  with  mat  awnings ;  seve- 
ral canoes,  and  several  heavy  boats  for  carrying 
off  cargo  to  the  ships.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
Avater  are  several  houses,  with  their  shell-glazed 
verandahs,  red  tile  roofs,  and  each  house  is  sur- 
mounted by  a  cross;  while  over  the  roofs  of  the 
houses  I  see  the  high  steeple  of  the  Binondo  parish 
church,  once  white,  but  now  blackened  and  dis- 
coloured by  age,  with  grass  growing  out  of  the  corni- 
ces, and  several  bells  in  the  cupola.  One  of  the 
houses  opposite  is  the  place  for  depositing  cocoa- 
nut  wine,  where  several  large  boats  are  loading  and 
unloading.  This  being  a  government  monopoly,  seve- 
ral sentinels  are  keeping  guard  at  the  gates.  This 
being  one  of  the  hottest  parts  of  the  day,  eleven 
o'clock,  A.  M.,  very  few  Europeans  are  to  be  seen ; 
but  there  are  a  number  of  native  men  about.  They 
are  very  cleanly :  their  dress  consists  of  a  pair  of 
trows ers  and  a  shirt,  which  hangs  outside,  and  either 
a  handkerchief  or  a  hat  on  the  head.  They  use  a 
variety  of  colours  for  shirts  and  trows  ers,  but  are 
always  very  clean.  .  .  . 

^      Yours,  most  affectionately, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  129 

Manilla,  Sept.  14th,  1842. 

Rev.  J.  C.  LowRiE — Dear  Brother — After  spend- 
ing about  three  weeks  in  Macao,  and  Hong  Kong, 
very  busily,  but  very  pleasantly,  and  accomplishing 
all  that  seemed  necessary  at  that  time  for  the  pros- 
perity of  the  mission,  a  rather  more  than  usually 
fixvourable  opportunity  of  proceeding  to  Singapore 
was  offered,  which  it  seemed  proper  that  I  should 
embrace.  It  was  a  cHpper  bark,  built  near  Calcutta, 
expressly  for  the  trade  between  India  and  China, 
and  intended  to  run  up  and  down  the  China  Sea, 
both  with  and  against  the  monsoons.  It  is  probably 
known  to  most  persons,  that  the  monsoons  are 
periodical  winds  that  prevail  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal, 
and  among  the  islands  that  separate  the  Pacific  and 
the  Indian  Oceans.  Those  that  prevail  in  the 
China  Sea,  are  caUed  the  north-east  and  south-west 
monsoons.  The  north-east  monsoon  is  commonly 
preceded  by  about  a  month  of  variable  winds  and 
frequent  calms,  and  commences  blowing  from  the 
north-east  steadily  in  October.  It  continues  till 
some  time  in  April;  then  follows  nearly  a  month  of 
variable  winds  and  calms,  and  about  the  first  of 
May  the  south-west  monsoon  sets  in,  blowing  till 
the  middle  or  end  of  September,  and  sometimes  to 
the  middle  of  October.  This  is  the  general  division; 
but  these  winds  are  subject  to  great  irregularity  in 
their  commencement  and  termination.  For  example ; 
when  Ave  went  up  the  China  Sea  in  May,  in  the 
Huntress,  we  expected  to  have  had  the  south-west 
monsoon  steadily,  though  gently,  in  our  favour ;  but, 
to  our  great  disappointment,  experienced  calms  and 
light  and  variable  winds  during  the  whole  of  that 
month.  It  was  formerly  thought  useless  for  vessels 
to  attempt  a  passage  through  the  China  sea,  against 
either  of  the  monsoons,  but  of  late  years  fast-sailing 
vessels,  and  particularly  clippers,  and  clipper-built 
ships,  have  very  frequently  succeeded  in  making  a 
passage  in  the  course  of  from  twenty -five  to  thirty- 
five  and  forty  days.    In  the  year  1841,  several  ves- 


130  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

sels  passed  down  the  China  Sea,  from  Macao  to 
Singapore,  in  the  months  of  June,  Jnl}^,  and  August, 
without  any  difficulty.  Among  others,  the  captain 
of  the  Sea  Queen,  in  which  I  took  my  passage,  who 
was  then  chief  mate  of  another  vessel,  had  made 
the  passage  in  thirty  days,  with  delightful  weather 
the  whole  time. 

The  prospect  of  another  month  at  sea,  after  haA- ing 
just  finished  a  four  months'  voyage,  was  not  very 
pleasant;  but  the  instructions  of  the  Committee  and 
the  state  of  the  mission  seemed  to  require  it,  and 
full  of  hope,  and  anticipating  a  pleasant  voyage,  and 
safe  arrival  at  Singapore,  I  embarked  in  the  Sea 
Queen,  June  18.  Our  progress  for  two  or  three 
weeks,  though  slow,  was  still  tolerably  good;  and 
as  nothing  else  of  special  interest  occurred  to  occupy 
my  attention,  I  had  an  opportunity  of  learning 
something  of  the  character  and  regulations  of  a 
'^  country  ship."  This  is  a  term  applied,  not  to  ves- 
sels belonging  to  the  natives  of  these  countries,  but 
to  vessels  built  in  the  East  Indies,  owned  and  com- 
manded by  Europeans,  and  manned  by  Hindus  or 
IVlalays.  The  greater  part  of  them  are  built  in 
India,  of  the  teak,  and  other  hard  woods  of  that 
countr}^,  and  their  cordage  is  made  of  the  fibres  of 
the  husk  of  the  cocoa-nut.  They  trade  principally 
between  India  and  China,  touching,  however,  at  the 
mtermediate  ports.  They  carry  rice,  opium,  and 
other  articles  to  China,  and  return  with  teas,  silks, 
Chinese  manufactm'es,  and  the  like,  to  India;  fre- 
quently making  two,  and  occasionally  three  voy- 
ages in  a  3^ear.  .  .  . 

It  is  of  course  necessary  for  the  officers  to  acquire 
some  knowledge  of  the  Bengali  language,  as  the 
crew  cannot  be  expected  to  learn  Enghsh.  A  very 
small  smattering,  however,  commonly  serves  their 
purpose,  consisting  simply  of  the  nautical  terms 
necessary  for  the  regulation  of  the  ship :  {harra  bras, 
mainbrace ;  garva  bras,  topsail-brace ;  deman,  sheet ; 
stringee,  clewline;  bobber,  weather;  barra/ca,  sea,,  Sec.) 


MEMOIR  OP   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  131 

The  Sevang  and  tindals  are  supposed  to  know  so 
much  of  what  is  needful,  for  the  management  of  the 
ship,  as  to  require  but  little  direction  from  the 
higher  officers 

For  ten  days  we  made  tolerably  good  progress; 
we  then  had  a  week  of  calms.  Nothing  is  more 
tr3dng  at  sea  than  a  calm:  yet  it  is  true  that 
scarcely  any  sight  is  so  beautiful  as  that  of  the 
ocean  in  a  perfect  calm, — provided  it  does  not  last 
too  long.  The  water  then  becomes  of  a  blue  colour, 
as  beautiful  as  that  of  a  field  of  flax  in  bloom :  a  few 
light  or  golden  clouds  float  in  the  sky,  or  mirror 
themselves  in  the  sea :  while  all  around  the  surface 
of  the  water  is  calm,  and  smooth  as  glass,  varied 
only  by  a  heaving,  as  gentle  as  that  of  a  sleeping 
infant's  bosom.  Now  and  then  a  faint  light  air 
causes  a  gentle  simmer  or  a  ripple  on  the  water,  like 
the  smile  on  an  infant's  face  when  dreams  are  plea- 
sant in  its  soul.  Especially  is  the  sight  beautiful 
in  the  evening,  when  the  sun's  last  rays  are 
reflected  from  the  resplendent  wave,  and  a  sea  of 
liquid  gold  seems  to  mingle  with  the  bending 
heavens.  I  have  sat  by  the  ship's  side  for  hours, 
gazing  around,  and  mentally  exclaiming :  No  earthly 
painter,  and  no  earthly  pencil,  ever  drew  such  gor- 
geous, such  delicate,  and  such  beautiful  scenes  as 
these,  and  yet,  they  are  but  transient  reflections  of 
that  glorious  place,  where,  though  ^' there  is  no 
more  sea,"  such  as  here  we  cross,  yet  there  is  a 
"sea  of  glass,  clear  as  crystal,"  and  that  glass  not 
frail  and  perishable  as  ours;  but  "pure  gold,  trans- 
parent as  glass."  Surely  to  stand  on  tliat  sea  of 
glass,  having  the  harps  of  God,  and  to  sing  the  song 
of  Moses  and  the  Lamb,  will  amply  repay  a  few 
years  of  toil,  and  disappointment,  and  suffering,  on 
the  restless  sea  of  life. 

Yet,  beautiful  as  were  many  of  the  scenes  wit- 
nessed in  the  calms,  nothing  is  more  wearisome, 
and  we  were  soon  so  tired  of  them,  that  we  wished 
for  any  other  kind  of  weather.    The  S.  W.  monsoon 


132  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

soon  recommenced,  and  blew  very  strongly.  The 
weather  became  unsettled,  and  during  the  course 
of  a  month,  we  had  almost  constant  gales,  during 
which  we  lost  our  maintop-gallant-mast,  and  had  so 
many  sails  torn  by  the  wmd,  that  sometimes  we 
had  not  a  topsail  to  spread.  In  addition  to  the 
strong  wind  and  heavy  sea,  (for  three  weeks  we 
had  not  a  dry  deck  to  walk  upon,  on  account  of  the 
constant  breaking  of  the  sea  over  it,)  we  were  ex- 
ceedingly embarrassed  by  adverse  currents.  Several 
days,  when  we  thought  we  had  made  tolerably 
good  progress  to  the  south-west,  we  found,  by 
observations,  that  we  had  actually  been  carried  ten 
and  twenty  miles  to  the  north-east.  If  our  ship  had 
not  been  almost  new,  she  could  scarcely  have  sus- 
tained the  strain  that  came  upon  her.  As  it  was, 
it  was  necessary  to  have  the  men  at  the  pumps  two 
or  three  times  every  day.  As  may  be  supposed,  in 
such  circumstances,  our  progress  was  exceedingly 
slow.  We  frequently  lost  as  much  in  one  day  as 
we  had  gained  in  three  or  four;  and  after  beating 
about  for  thirty-one  days,  we  found  ourselves, 
August  11,  only  one  hundred  miles  nearer  Singa- 
pore than  on  the  10th  of  July  preceding 

It  has  often  been  said,  and  with  truth,  that  no 
trial  which  a  missionary  experiences,  is  greater 
than  that  of  being  deprived  of  the  advantages  of 
Christian  society,  and  of  the  privileges  of  the  sanc- 
tuary. Such  I  found  to  be  the  case ;  and  it  was 
difficult  at  times  to  refrain  from  tears,  when  the 
Sabbath  came  round,  and  the  recollection  of  its 
peaceful  and  hallowed  scenes  at  home  rose  before 
me,  in  contrast  with  the  solitude  of  the  dark  and 
foam-crested  waves,  where,  alone,  I  had  no  fellow- 
Christian  with  whom  to  worship  God.  Truly, 
''  blessed  are  they  that  dwell  in  th}'-  house ;  they 
will  be  stiU  praising  thee."  But  it  was  pleasant  to 
think,  and  to  experience  that  those  who  enjoy  these 
external  privileges,  do  not  monopolize  aU  the  blessing. 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  133 

^^  Blessed  is  the  man  whose  strength  is  in  thee,  in 
whose  heart  are  the  ways  of  them. '.  .  .  . 

Finding  at  last  that  we  could  not  make  head 
against  the  currents,  and  that  our  provisions  were 
nearly  exhausted,  we  very  reluctantly  turned  about, 
and  shaped  our  course  for  Manilla,  where  we  arrived 
safely,  August  3d,  sixty-six  days  after  leaving 
Macao.  And  yet,  great  as  was  our  disappointment, 
we  found  abundant  cause  for  gratitude.  The  bad 
weather  we  had  experienced  had  extended  over  a 
large  part  of  the  China  Sea.  An  English  vessel  had 
been  wrecked,  not  far  from  ours.  Her  captain  and 
mate  were  drowned,  and  the  crew  obliged  to  go  to 
Manilla,  in  their  boats.  Several  other  vessels  had 
been  driven  back  with  damage,  and  almost  all  the 
vessels  in  Manilla  Bay  had  dragged  their  anchors, 
while  one  or  two  of  them  were  driven  on  shore. 
Yet  we  had  escaped  without  any  serious  injury. 

I  arrived  at  Manilla  a  perfect  stranger,  not  know- 
ing even  the  name  of  a  single  person  here.  There 
were  no  Protestant  missionaries  in  the  Philippine 
Islands,  and  Manilla  is  almost  the  only  port  from 
Chusan  in  China  to  Calcutta  in  India,  where  I  could 
not  have  found  persons  whom  I  knew,  or  with  whom, 
from  similarity  of  pursuits,  I  could  not  speedily 
have  formed  an  acquaintance.  Yet  I  had  not  been 
ashore  an  hour,  before  I  found  myself  most  perfectly 
at  home  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Moore,  a  merchant 
from  Boston,  and  at  present  acting  as  United  States 
vice-consul. 

Such,  dear  brother,  is  my  story.  It  may  give 
you  an  idea  of  some  of  the  difficulties  of  the  navi- 
gation of  the  China  Sea,  and  lead  you  to  unite  your 
thanks  with  mine  for  the  goodness  of  God  which 
has  so  manifestly  attended  me 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 
12 


134  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 


SHIPWRECK   OF   THE   HARMONY. 

Having  engaged  a  passage  from  Manilla  to  Sin2:a- 
pore  in  the  Harmony,  I  went  on  board  with  tlie 
captain  about  noon,  September  18,  1842,  and  found 
Messrs.  M.  and  G.,  my  two  fellow-passengers, 
already  there.  It  was  quite  calm,  and  we  did  not 
start  till  eight  o'clock,  p.  m.,  when  a  fine  breeze 
sprang  up,  and  as  the  moon  was  shining  brightly, 
we  got  under  weigh,  set  studding-sails  alow  and 
aloft,  and  went  off  in  full  sail.  The  ship  was  deep- 
ly laden  with  more  than  six  hundred  tons  of  sugar, 
and  drew  nineteen  feet  of  water.  She  was  counted 
one  of  the  fastest  sailing  British  merchantmen  in 
the  Chinese  waters;  but  with  such  a  cargo  the  cap- 
tain feared  she  would  not  sail  as  well  as  usual. 
However,  she  kept  up  with  the  Cecilia,  a  swift 
English  bark,  and  not  near  so  deeply  laden.  It 
was  a  lovely  night,  and  everything  looked  so  favour- 
able that  we  were  all  in  high  spirits,  and  had  great 
hopes  of  a  speedy  voyage.  By  daylight  next  morn- 
ing'''  we  were  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  outside  of 
Corregidor,  which  was  much  better  success  than  we 
had  allowed  ourselves  to  anticipate. 

It  was  quite  calm  during  Monday  morning:  but 
in  the  afternoon  a  breeze  sprang  up.  The  Cecilia 
had  gone  ahead  of  us;  but  when  this  breeze  fairly 
set  in  we  caught  up  with  her,  and  in  three  or  four 
hours  had  left^  her  five  miles  astern.  This  settled 
the  point  of  the  Harmony's  sailing,  and  gave  us 
great  hopes  of  her  future  performances.  The  breeze 
gradually  increased  to  a  gale,  and  on  Wednesday 
morning  we  were  under  double-reefed  topsails,  with 
a  tremendous  sea  astern.  I  was  strongly  reminded 
of  the  waves  in  a  gale  off  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

*  We  sailed  on  Sabbath,  September  18th.  It  was  Manilla  Saturday/, 
and  I  observed  Monday,  September  ]9th,  as  Sabbath.  The  day  before 
had  been  observed  as  Sabbath  by  the  men,  who  had  nothing  to  do 
except  to  get  the  ship  under  weigh  in  the  evening.  As  we  sailed  on 
Sabbath  the  "morning"  above  mentioned  was  Monday  morning. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  135 

The  vessel  being  very  deeply  laden,  shipped  a  great 
deal  of  water :  immense  waves  piled  themselves  up 
several  feet  above  the  bulwarks,  and  came  tumbling 
in  on  deck,  and  the  cabin  was  flooded  with  water 
several  times.  I  was  standing  by  the  cabin  door 
once,  when  a  sea  came  over  the  ship's  side,  and 
before  it  was  possible  to  escape,  the  water  w^as  up 
over  my  knees.  The  gale  increased  to  a  storm  by 
noon,  (Wednesday,)  and  though  we  were  going  right 
before  it,  its  violence  was  so  great  that  we  were  at 
last  obliged  to  lie  to,  under  a  close-reefed  main-top- 
sail, and  foretopmast-staysail.  Being  from  the  east, 
it  had  helped  us  on  wonderfully  in  our  course. 

The  gale  moderated  during  the  night,  and  the  sun 
shone  out  the  next  day,  though  the  sea  continued 
rough.  Friday  was  a  pleasant  day;  and  my  sea- 
sickness being  now  over,  everything  was  agreeable. 
Being  now  pretty  well  acquainted  with  the  ship, 
the  comparisons  I  made  between  her  and  the  Sea 
Queen,  in  which  my  last  voyage  was  made,  were  by 
no  means  favourable  to  the  latter.  The  Harmony 
was  a  superior  vessel  in  every  respect,  except  that 
her  cabins,  though  all  on  deck,  were  not  so  well  ven- 
tilated as  those  of  the  Sea  Queen.  But  the  masts, 
rigging,  and  sails  of  the  Harmony  were  stronger  and 
neater.  She  was  a  better  sailer;  her  crew  were 
Englishmen,  and  her  steward,  (an  important  consid- 
eration to  a  passenger,)  though  by  no  means  a  neat, 
driving  felloAV,  was  so  far  superior  to  the  filthy 
butler  of  the  Sea  Queen,  that  the  two  should  not  be 
named  on  the  same  day.  There  were  a  few  cock- 
roaches, but  no  ants  or  centipedes.  Her  captain 
w^as  a  stout,  hearty,  good-humoured  Scotchman,  with 
somewhat  of  the  Scotch  pronunciation  and  accent. 
He  was  an  intelligent  and  independent  man,  a  per- 
fect sailor,  full  of  sailor  phrases,  and  as  fond  of  his 
ship  as  if  she  were  his  wife.  He  was  kind  and  yet 
strict  with  his  men,  and  was  therefore  liked  and 
obeyed  by  them.     He  used  no  profane  language, 


136  MEMOIR  OF  WALTER  M.  LOWRIE. 

(certainly  never  in  my  presence,)  and  was  very 
attentive  to  the  wants  of  his  passengers. 

Saturday,  September  24,  was  a  cloudy  day,  wind 
from  the  west,  and  our  course  nearly  south.  The 
captain  could  not  get  an  observation  of  the  sun,  but, 
by  his  reckoning,  we  were  at  noon  in  lat.  11  deg. 
53  min.  N.,  and  long.  114  deg.  20  min.  E.  This  was 
a  very  unpleasant  position,  being  but  fifteen  or 
twenty  miles  north  of  the  North  Danger — a  small 
island,  with  not  a  tree  on  it,  and  a  reef  aU  around, 
which  marks  the  north-western  limit  of  the  danger- 
ous archipelago  of  shoals  in  the  China  Sea.  Accord- 
ingly, every  effort  was  made  to  get  to  the  westward, 
but  the  wind  now  became  unsteady,  veering  about 
so  much,  that  it  was  hardly  possible  to  keep  the 
ship  on  any  course,  except  to  the  north-east,  which 
was  directly  contrary  to  the  course  we  wished 
to  go. 

Sabbath  morning  (Sept.  25)  was  dark,  cloudy,  and 
sfjually :  there  was  a  heavy  sea,  and  a  rolling  ship, 
with  frequent  showers,  a  hazy  atmosphere,  and 
exceedingly  baffling  winds.  About  ten  o'clock  a.  m., 
the  wind  became  steady  at  S.  W. ;  ship  went  off  W. 
N.  W.  five  or  six  miles  an  hour,  under  double- 
reefed-topsails,  and  the  weather  began  to  look  less 
threatening.  At  noon  the  captain  came  down  and 
changed  his  wet  clothes,  being  the  third  time  that 
day,  and  said  the  prospects  were  more  favom^able. 
We  had  tiffin,  and  he  remarked  incidentally,  that 
he  had  just  been  sending  men  aloft,  but  no  dangers 
were  to  be  seen,  as  the  sea  was  clear  on  all  sides. 
We  were  all  in  excellent  spirits,  and  amused  our- 
selves with  conjectures  as  to  the  probable  length  of 
our  voyage.  After  tifiin  the  captain  took  his  segar 
and  went  on  deck,  and  the  passengers  exchanged 
a  few  more  sentences  as  to  the  time  of  arrival  at 
Singapore,  and  were  about  quietly  reclining  on  the 
sofas  to  read,  Avhen  the  ship  struck  against  some 
obstacle  with  tremendous  violence.  It  impeded  her 
onward  motion  in  a  moment.     We  started  to  our 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  137 

feet;  again  she  struck,  and  again  she  reeled  like 
a  drunken  man.  The  deck  quivered  beneath  our 
feet;  and  on  going  out  we  found  the  men  running 
about,  the  officers  giving  their  orders,  and  the  terri- 
fied steward  groaning  and  wringing  his  hands  at  the 
cabin  door.  80  violent  were  the  strokes,  that  I  was 
apprehensive  of  the  ship  being  broken  to  pieces, 
and  ran  to  get  my  life-preserver.  By  the  time  I 
had  it  half  inflated,  the  ship  had  beaten  over  the 
shoal,  and  I  went  up  on  the  poop-deck.  The  cap- 
tain had  changed  the  ship's  course,  and  I  found  him 
giving  his  orders,  and  pacing  the  deck  in  great  agi- 
tation. The  shock  had  been  so  sudden  and  unex- 
pected, that  he,  as  well  as  every  one  else,  was 
taken  completely  by  surprise.  I  had  scarcely  time 
to  speak  to  him,  or  to  reply  to  some  observation 
that  he  made  to  me,  when  the  vessel  struck  again 
with  even  greater  violence.  The  sea  was  boiling  in 
short  uneasy  waves  on  all  sides,  and  we  seemed  to 
be  above  some  deeply  sunken  rock,  on  which  the 
ship's  bottom  was  dashed  every  time  she  sunk  in 
the  hollow  of  the  waves.  Through  the  violence  of 
the  blows,  large  pieces  of  her  keel  were  broken  oflP, 
and  rose  to  the  surface;  and  the  copper  was  torn 
off  in  masses  from  her  bottom.  At  one  time  we 
could  both  see  and  feel  the  middle  of  the  ship  rismg 
up^  while  her  stem  and  stern  sank  doivn.  In  sailor's 
phrase,  her  "  back  was  broken,"  and  for  a  moment  I 
fully  expected  she  would  break  in  two. 

It  was  an  awful  time :  a  strong  wind ;  a  heavy 
rain  falling,  and  an  unquiet  and  restless  sea;  3^et 
there  were  no  breakers  and  no  discoloured  waters — 
the  usual  signs  of  a  shoal, — and  although  in  the 
intervals  of  rain  we  could  see  at  least  ten  miles  on 
every  side,  yet  there  was  neither  island,  rock  nor 
breakers  in  sight;  nor  any  other  sign  of  danger. 
Of  this  I  am  certain,  for  the  captain  requested  me 
to  look  round  and  see;  nay  even  when  we  were 
upon  the  shoal  we  could  see  nothing,  for  I  looked 
over  the  ship's  side  when  she  was  striking  most 
12^ 


105  MEMOIR   OF  WALTER   M.   LOWRTE. 

heavily,  and  nothing  was  visible  beneath  the  dark 
waters.  Such  shocks  must  be  as  dreadful  as  those 
of  an  earthquake,  perhaps  more  so.  They  were  the 
blows  of  an  unseen  enemy,  and  we  could  not  tell  at 
what  moment  we  might  receive  another  which 
should  send  us  at  once  to  the  bottom. 

The  pumps  were  immediately  manned,  and  the 
water  that  came  up  tasted  sweet;  it  had  already 
reached  the  sugar  in  the  hold.  On  sounding  the 
well,  three  feet  of  water  was  found.  The  four  pumps 
were  kept  constantly  going,  the  main  hatchway 
opened  and  sugar  thrown  overboard  to  lighten  the 
vessel,  but  this  was  soon  abandoned.  Some  of  the 
men  were  employed  in  getting  the  boats  ready  in 
case  of  emergency;  we  packed  up  a  few  clothes 
and  valuables  in  as  small  a  compass  as  possible,  and 
waited  in  suspense  for  the  result.  As  you  may 
well  imagine,  i  was  on  my  knees  more  than  once. 
It  was  a  solemn  time :  but  my  mind  was  kept  in  a 
calm  and  composed  frame. 

AVe  struck  about  half-past  one,  P.  M.  In  less  than 
an  hour  the  vessel  had  three  feet  of  water  in  the 
hold.  In  two  hours  more  it  had  increased  to  six 
feet;  in  less  than  another  hour  there  was  seven,  and 
in  twenty  minutes  more  seven  feet  and  six  inches ;  and 
this  though  the  four  pumps  were  kept  constantly 
going,  and  all  drawing  well.  It  was  now  near  five 
o'clock,  p.  M.,  and  it  being  evident  that  the  ship  must 
sink,  the  pumps  were  abandoned  and  the  boats  got 
ready.  It  was  very  providentially  ordered  for  us 
that  the  masts  had  not  fallen  when  the  ship  struck 
so  violently,  as,  in  that  case,  it  would  have  been 
difficult  to  get  the  long  boat  out.  It  was  after  dark, 
perhaps  nearly  seven  o'clock,  when  the  boats  were 
read)^,  and  we  found  it  a  work  of  difficulty  and  dan- 
ger to  get  into  them;  for  with  the  heavy  sea  run- 
ning they  rose  and  fell  more  than  ten  feet  every 
minute.  It  was  arranged  that  twenty-one,  mcluding 
the  captain  and  passengers,  should  go  in  the  long- 
boat, and  the  mate  and  seven  men  in  the  jolly  boat. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  139 

We  managed  to  get  in  about  seven  o'clock,  and 
pushed  off  from  the  ship.  She  was  then  settling 
Fast  in  the  water,  which  was  already  nearly  on  a 
level  with  her  deck.  The  lights  were  left  burning 
in  her  cabin,  and  the  noble  ship,  which  on  that 
very  day  one  year  before  commenced  her  first  voy- 
age, was  left  a  shattered,  sinking  wreck.  We 
wanted  to  see  her  go  down,  but  as  the  sea  was 
rolling  heavily,  wind  high,  and  a  drenching  rain 
falling,  it  was  neither  comfortable  nor  safe  to  stay 
by  her,  and  we  kept  the  boats  before  the  sea  by 
means  of  small  pieces  of  canvass.  They  had  four  oars 
in  the  jolly  boat,  and  we  had  had  as  many,  but  three 
of  them  were  broken  in  keeping  the  boat  from  dash- 
ing against  the  shii^'s  side :  thus  we  found  ourselves 
in  the  open  sea,  four  hundred  miles  from  land, 
with  only  a  single  oar.  A  heavy  rain  fell  almost 
constantly  till  midnight,  from  which  we  could  have 
no  protection,  and  in  a  few  minutes  we  were 
drenched  with  the  rain  and  the  spray,  which  every 
now  and  then  dashed  over  us.  The  boat,  with  so 
many  persons  in,  was  very  deep  in  the  water;  and 
to  add  to  our  discomfort  and  apprehensions,  leaked 
a  good  deal,  so  that  one  person  was  constantly 
employed  in  bailing  her  out.  About  midnight  the 
wind  and  sea  abated  somewhat,  the  clouds  dispersed 
a  little,  the  moon  dimly  glimmered  in  the  sky,  and 
we  kept  on  slowly  to  the  north.  Owing  to  the  wea- 
ther, 1  had  slept  almost  none  the  night  before, 
and  exhausted  with  want  of  sleep,  anxiety  and  fa- 
tigue, I  managed  to  rest  a  little  towards  morning, 
though  how  or  where  it  would  be  hard  to  say. 

On  Monday  we  rigged  a  couple  of  masts,  and 
with  a  royal  studding-sail,  and  mam  sky-sail,  which 
had  been  thrown  into  the  boat,  we  mustered  a  very 
respectable  foresail  and  mainsail,  using  our  whole 
oar,  and  one  of  the  broken  oars  for  yards.  The 
boat  was  then  lightened,  by  throwing  overboard 
everything  that  could  possibly  be  spared;  the  bag- 
gage and  provisions  were  packed  as  neatly  as  possi- 


140  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

ble,  and  a  man  and  bo}^  taken  in  from  the  jolly  boat, 
which  made  our  whole  number  nineteen  men  and 
four  bo3^s ;  a  large  number  for  a  boat  only  twenty- 
one  feet  long,  and  eight  feet  broad.  The  provisions 
were  then  examined,  and  we  found  there  was  bread 
enough  to  last  a  week  or  ten  days,  but  that  we  had 
a  very  small  quantity  of  water.  There  could  not 
have  been  more  than  eight  or  ten  gallons.  This 
was  a  cause  of  no  little  anxiety,  for  by  our  calcula- 
tions we  could  not  be  less  than  four  hundred  miles 
from  Manilla,  (whither  we  now  directed  our  course,) 
and  at  that  season  of  the  year,  calms,  and  even 
head  winds,  which  would  make  our^  passage  long, 
w^ere  not  unlikely  to  occur.  Accordingly  all  hands 
were  put  on  an  allowance  of  half  a  pint  of  water 
daily,  and  bread  in  moderation.  The  water  was 
served  out  twice  a  day  in  a  cup  which  held  a  gill, 
and  all  drank  out  of  the  same  cup.^  I  had  put  a 
little  keg  of  crackers  on  board,  which  kept  dry 
when  all  the  rest  were  wet  with  rain  and  salt  water, 
and  also  a  small  box  of  raisins,  which  proved  very 
acceptable.  We  had  a  few  cheeses  and  some  cocoa- 
nuts,  the  milk  of  which  served  us  for  two  days, 
thus  making  a  great  saving  in  our  little  stock  of 
water. 

This  (Monday)  was  a  tolerably  pleasant  day. 
Pieces  of  canvass  were  nailed  round  the  sides  of  the 
boat  to  keep  out  the  spray,  and  having  a  fair  light 
wind,  we  made  some  progress  on  our  course.  The 
sun  shone  out  brightly  in  the  afternoon,  and  dried 
our  wet  clothes,  and  most  of  us  slept  well  that  night. 
We  began  to  cherish  hopes  of  arriving  at  some  land 
ere  long. 

Tuesday  was  a  terrible  day.  Not  a  cloud  iii  the 
sky ;  scarcely  a  breath  of  wind,  and  the  hot  sun  of 
the  torrid  zone  beating  full  upon  us.  There  was 
but  one  umbrella  in  the  boat,  and  we  could  not  hoist 
an  awning :  but  being  sunburnt,  and  even  blistered, 
was  the  least  evil.  Half  -a  pint  of  water  on  such  a 
day,  when  tantalized  by  the  sight  of  an  ocean  of 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOV/RIE.  141 

water,  so  clear  but  so  salt,  was  a  small  allowance, 
and  I  almost  prayed  to  be  swallowed  up  in  the 
raging  sea,  rather  than  be  suffered  to  linger  in  so 
dreadful  a  condition.  Yet  there  was  no  murmuring, 
and  we  all  kept  up  our  spirits. 

As  the  jolly  boat  sailed  much  faster  than  ours, 
it  was  thought  best  she  should  go  on  ahead.  She 
could  be  of  no  service  to  us,  nor  we  to  her,  by 
keeping  company,  and  by  going  on,  she  might  escape 
danger,  and  even  find  means  of  assisting  us.  Ac- 
cordingly she  left  us  this  afternoon,  and  we  after- 
wards regretted  deeply  that  she  had  not  done  so 
sooner.  This  night  I  slept  badly;  the  baggage 
had  been  shifted  to  put  the  boat  in  better  sailing 
trim,  and  there  was  not  room  to  place  one's  self 
comfortably;  lying  down  was  at  any  time  out  of 
the  question,  for  want  of  room.  A  fine  favourable 
breeze  sprang  up  soon  after  dark,  and  we  made 
good  progress. 

On  Wednesday  the  breeze  became  stronger,  with 
a  heavy  sea.  We  went  rapidly  on,  and  in  our  lone- 
ly course  found  amusement  in  watching  the  large 
flocks  of  boobies  that  in  some  places  almost  covered 
the  sea.  They  came  around  us  in  great  numbers, 
and  alighted  on  the  3^ards,  and  even  on  the  sides  of 
the  boat.  In  his  eagerness  to  catch  one  the  boat- 
swain fell  overboard,  affording  us  all  a  hearty  laugh 
at  his  expense.  Several  showers  fell  near  us  about 
dark,  and  we  hoped  to  have  caught  some  water,  but 
could  not.  Slept  miserably.  In  the  part  of  the 
boat  where  I  was,  which  was  about  six  feet  by 
eight  in  size,  there  were  four  persons  to  sleep,  and 
one  constantly  employed  in  baling  out  the  water. 

Thursday  morning  commenced  with  rain,  which 
soon  wet  us  to  the  skin ;  but  we  did  not  mind  that, 
for  Ave  caught  several  buckets-full  of  water,  which, 
in  the  low  ebb  of  our  water-cask,  gave  us  great  joy ; 
and  we  ate  our  breakfast  in  high  spuits.  For  fear 
of  suffering  from  thirst,  I  ate  but  little,  seldom 


1-12  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

taking  more  than  three  small  crackers  a  day,  and  a 
mouthful  of  cheese  with  a  bunch  of  raisins. 

From  the  progress  we  had  made  the  night  before, 
we  had  great  hopes  of  seeing  land  either  to-day,  or 
early  on  the  following,  but  we  soon  began  to  think 
of  olher  things.  About  ten  o'clock  the  wind  rose, 
tlie  sea  ran  very  high,  and  frequent  squalls  of  wind 
and  rain  darkened  the  heavens  and  drenched  us  to 
the  skin.  The  captain  sent  the  best  helmsman  to 
the  tiller,  and  sat  down  himself  by  the  compass,  and 
for  eight  long  hours  he  did  not  move  from  his  seat. 
Conversation  ceased;  and  scarcely  a  word  was  ut- 
tered in  all  that  time,  except  the  orders  from  the 
captain  to  the  helmsman,  "  Port !  Port  your  helm, 
quick !  Hard  a-port !  Starboard  now !  Mind  your 
port-helm,"  &c.  Many  a  longing,  anxious  look  did 
we  cast  before  us  to  see  if  there  were  any  signs  of 
land ;  but  still  more  to  the  west,  to  see  if  the  gale 
gave  sio  ns  of  abating.  But  no  !  Darker  and  darker 
grew  tlie  heavens  over  us  ;  higher  and  higher 
rose  the  sea;  louder  and  louder  still  roared  the 
waves  as  they  rushed  past  our  little  boat,  and  faster 
fell  the  rain.  If  a  single  one  of  those  waves  had 
come  over  the  boat's  side,  it  would  have  over- 
whelmed and  swallowed  up  the  boat,  and  every  one 
on  board ;  and  it  w^as  only  by  the  utmost  care  and 
skill  that  she  was  kept  before  them. 

Death  never  seemed  so  near  before.  An  emo- 
tion of  sorrow  passed  through  my  mind,  as  I  thought 
of  my  friends  at  home  wdio  would,  probably,  be  long 
in  suspense  in  regard  to  my  fate ;  and  of  regret,  as 
I  thought  of  the  work  for  which  I  had  come ;  but 
for  myself,  my  mind  was  kept  in  peace.  I  knew 
in  whom  I  had  believed,  and  felt  that  He  was  able 
to  save ;  and  though  solemn  in  the  near  prospect  of 
eternity,  I  felt  no  fear,  and  had  no  regret  that  I  had 
perilled  my  life  in  such  a  cause. 

Thus  the  day  wore  away,  and  night  approached 
w^ithout  any  signs  of  more  moderate  weather.  The 
wdnd  was  now  so  strong,  and  the  sea  so  high,  that 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  143 

it  was  with  the  utmost  danger  that  we  could  hold 
on  our  course.  Everything  was  Avet,  and  we  tried 
in  vain  to  get  a  light  for  the  compass ;  besides,  by 
our  calculations,  we  could  not  be  more  than  thirty 
or  forty  miles  from  land ;  and  at  the  rate  we  were 
going,  should  reach  it  about  midnight;  but  to  at- 
tempt to  land  in  such  a  sea,  in  the  dark,  would  be 
madness  itself.  What  could  we  do?  Backwards, 
or  sideways,  we  could  not  go,  on  account  of  the  sea ; 
to  go  forward  was  to  throw  our  hves  away;  to 
remain  where  we  were,  even  if  it  ivere possible,  seemed 
to  be  remaining  in  the  very  jaws  of  death.  It  was, 
however,  our  only  hope,  if  hope  it  could  be  called, 
and  accordingly  preparations  were  made  for  heaving 
the  boat  to.  The  foresail  was  taken  down,  and 
securely  fastened  to  the  yard ;  the  largest  cord  we 
could  muster  (about  thirty  fathoms)  attached  to  this 
and  to  the  boat.  The  mainsail  was  then  lowered, 
and  watching  our  opportunity,  the  foresail  was 
thrown  overboard,  cord  paid  out,  and  the  boat's 
head  turned  to  the  wind.     This  last  was  a  most 

Eerilous  operation ;  for  had  a  wave  struck  her  while 
er  broadside  was  exposed  to  it,  all  would  have 
been  over  with  us.  The  plan,  however,  succeeded 
admirably.  The  little  foresail  being  between  the 
wind  and  the  boat,  it  served  to  break  the  force  of 
the  waves ;  and  as  it  lay  flat  on  the  water,  it  was 
not  acted  on  by  the  wind;  and  thus  served  also  as 
an  anchor  to  keep  the  boat's  head  to  the  wind. 
We  then  had  the  mainsail  hoisted  up  in  the  form  of 
a  staysail,  to  keep  the  boat  steady,  and  thus  we 
were  hove  to. 

For  a  while,  the  result  was  very  uncertain.  The 
wind  howled  past  us  with  a  force  that  made  every 
plank  in  the  boat  quiver ;  the  rain  fell  in  torrents, 
with  the  violence  of  small  hailstones,  nearly  all  the 
night;  and  we  could  hear  the  great  waves  as  they 
formed  and  rose  away  ahead  of  us,  and  then  rushed 
toward  us,  with  a  sound  like  the  whizzing  of  an  im- 
mense rocket.     Sometimes  they  would  strike  us  as 


144  MEMOIR   OP  WALTER   M.    LOAVRIE. 

if  with  a  heavy  hammer,  causing  the  boat  to  jump 
bodily  away  ;  and  then  again,  their  white,  foaming, 
phosphorescent  crests  would  be  piled  up  by  our 
sides,  as  if,  the  next  moment,  they  would  dash  in 
and  overwhelm  us  in  an  instant.  There  we  lay, 
packed  together  so  closely  that  we  could  scarcely 
move ;  while  every  now  and  then,  a  dash  of  spray 
came  over  us,  covering  us  with  pale  phosphoric 
sparks  that  spread  a  dim  and  fearful  light  for  a  few 
inches  around.  Oh,  it  was  a  dreadful  night !  There 
was  distress  and  perplexity,  the  sea  and  the  waves 
roaring,  and  men's  hearts  failing  them  for  fear. 

Not  one  of  our  company,  I  will  venture  to  say,  had 
any  expectation  of  seeing  the  light  of  another  day. 
For  myself,  I  thought  deliberately  of  each  and  every 
member  of  our  family,  and  breathed  a  silent  fare- 
well to  each :  of  many  of  my  friends  by  name,  of 
former  scenes  and  seasons:  of  various  missionary 
fields,  and  offered  prayers  for  each  and  all :  of  my 
own  past  life,  and  of  the  certainty,  for  so  it  then 
seemed  to  me,  that  in  a  few  hours  I  should  enter  on 
the  untried  realities  of  which  I  had  so  often  thought. 
I  know  not  that  my  mind  was  ever  in  a  calmer 
state,  or  that  I  could  more  deliberately  reflect  on 
what  I  wished  to  fix  my  thoughts  upon :  and  though 
I  could  not  feel  those  clear  convictions  of  my  safety 
I  have  sometimes  felt,  yet  my  faith  was  fixed  on 
the  Rock  of  Ages,  and  death  seemed  to  have  but 
few  terrors  for  me.  In  such  a  night,  and  with  such 
expectations,  it  was  wrong  to  sleep;  and  though 
benumbed  with  the  rain  and  cold,  and  almost  ex- 
hausted for  want  of  rest,  I  did  not  close  my  eyes 
during  the  whole  time.  Many  precious  Scripture 
truths  passed  through  my  mind;  such  as — "When 
thou  passest  through  the  waters  I  will  be  with  thee, 
and  through  the  rivers,  they  ^  shall  not  overflow 
thee,"  which  I  applied  to  myself  in  a  spuitual  man- 
ner; for,  situated  as  we  were,  I  could  scarcely  ex- 
pect to  have  them  literally  fulfilled.  I  know  not 
when  I  felt  more  strongly  the  delightful  sublimity 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  145 

of  the  expression, "  He  holdeth  the  waters  in  the 
hollow  of  his  hand,"  or  the  feeling  of  security  even 
for  the  body,  which  for  a  moment  it  gave  me. 

As  you  may  suppose,  there  were  few  words 
spoken,  and  the  only  sound  we  heard,  besides  the 
wind  and  rain  and  the  roaring  sea,  was  that  of  the 
l)oys  baling  out  the  water.  Towards  two  or  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  (by  our  conjectures,  for  we 
had  no  light  to  see  with,)  the  wind  and  sea  seemed 
to  abate,  and  finding  we  shipped  very  little  water, 
we  began  to  hope  that  our  lives  might  yet  be  spared. 
The  morning  slowly  dawned,  but  as  it  dawned  the 
wind  and  sea  increased.  As  soon  as  we  could  see, 
the  foresail  was  hauled  in  and  hoisted  to  the  wind, 
and  the  mainsail  spread,  and  we  commenced  again 
our  perilous  course.  Soon  the  cry,  "Land  ho!"  was 
raised,  and  when  the  morning  had  fairly  dawned, 
we  saw  it  stretching  along  right  before  us,  about  ten 
miles  off.  We  must  have  been  driven  many  miles 
during  the  night  to  be  so  near  it.  Soon  our  hopes 
were  greatly  excited,  for  the  land  had  the  appear- 
ance precisely  of  that  about  the  entrance  of  Manilla 
Bay.  We  could  see  what  we  took  to  be  Point  Hor- 
nos.  Mount  Mariveles,  the  island  Corregidor,  and 
the  Lora  Mountains ;  and  we  were  filled  with  joy 
at  the  prospect  of  so  soon  ending  our  voyage. 

We  steered  directly  for  the  land,  meaning  to  get 
behind  some  projecting  point,  and  wait  till  the  sea 
became  calm.  Meanwhile,  however,  the  wind  and 
sea  rose  again;  the  heavens  became  black  behind 
us,  and  there  was  a  great  rain.  To  our  sorrow, 
also,  we  found  that  we  had  mistaken  the  land,  for 
none  of  us  had  ever  seen  it  before.  But  it  was  too 
late  to  go  back,  the  squall  was  upon  us ;  and  though 
the  rain  fell  so  fast  that  we  could  not  see  more  than 
twenty  yards,  3^et  on  we  must  go.  There  was  a 
little  island  on  the  right,  and  the  captain  was  on 
the  point  of  steering  the  boat  so  as  to  get  round 
under  its  lee,  when  we  saw  heavy  breakers  right 
ahead.     We  turned  off  to  the  left,  though  at  an 


146  IVIEMOm   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

imminent  risk,  for  this  brought  our  broadside  to  the 
sea,  and  several  light  waves  dashed  over  us. 
There  were  breakers  on  the  left  too,  but  we  were 
directed  in  a  channel,  between  them,  and  rounding 
a  projecting  point  of  rocks,  we  saw  a  little  cove 
sheltered  from  the  wind,  and  as  smooth  as  an  inland 
lake.  Soon  our  boat  touched  the  bottom,  only  a 
few  yards  from  the  shore.  We  jumped  overboard, 
secured  her  by  ropes  to  two  or  three  trees,  and  we 
were  safe !  It  was  a  time  of  joy.  With  one  con- 
sent, we  gathered  together  under  the  trees,  and 
offered  up  our  thanksgiving  and  praises  to  God, 
with  prayers  for  future  assistance  and  protection. 
It  was  a  scene  worthy  of  a  painter's  skill, — our 
little  boat  fastened  to  the  trees,  our  scanty  baggage 
piled  upon  the  shore,  and  ourselves  under  the  cus- 
tard-apple trees,  standing  with  upturned  faces, 
while  the  rain  dropped  upon  our  bare  heads,  as  we 
lifted  up  our  voices,  and  I  trust  our  hearts  also,  to 
that  God  w^ho  had  held  the  winds  in  his  fist,  and 
the  waters  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  and  had 
brought  us  through  dangers  which  we  never  ex- 
pected to  survive.  It  was  well  we  came  in  when 
w^e  did,  for  it  was  then  high  tide,  and  a  few  hours 
later  the  channel  through  which  we  had  passed, 
was  itself  one  mass  of  breakers.  Our  boat  would 
inevitably  have  been  dashed  to  pieces  there,  and 
some,  if  not  all  of  us,  Avould  have  perished  among 
the  waves. 

After  all  due  attention  to  our  boat,  and  having 
refreshed  ourselves  with  biscuit,  raisins,  cheese,  and 
'plenty  of  water,  (for  there  were  several  streams  only 
a  few  yards  from  our  landing  place,)  our  next  care 
w^as  to  find  where  we  were.  We  knew  it  to  be  an 
island,  for  as  we  came  in  we  had  seen  land  at  a 

freat  distance  eastward,  which  we  supposed  to  be 
iuconia ;  but  we  were  not  certain  whether  we  were 
north  or  south  of  the  entrance  of  Manilla  Bay. 
From  a  little  point  hard  by  the  landing-place,  we 
saw  a  telegraph  station  on  a  hill,  and  tlius  con- 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  147 

eluded  that  the  island  was  inhabited,  and  probably 
bj  Spaniards.  Accordingly,  Captain  Smith,  Mr. 
G.,  (who  spoke  both  Spanish  and  Enghsh,)  and  my- 
self, started  to  discover  what  we  might.  Chun  Sing 
brought  me  a  cutlass  that  had  been  saved  in  the 
long  boat;  but  being  a  man  of  peace,  I  told  him  to 
take  it  to  the  captain^  and  armed  myself  simply 
with  a  walking-stick.  Thus  accoutred,  we  set  off; 
but  Mr.  Gr.j  weakened  by  exposure  and  want  of 
food,  broke  down  in  less  than  three  hundred  yards, 
and  declared  he  could  go  no  further.  He  went  back 
to  the  company  we  had  left  by  the  boat,  and  the 
captain  and  myself  went  on  alone  to  the  telegraph 
station.  We  found  it  deserted.  Thence  we  kept 
on,  and  soon  saw  a  bullock  tied  by  the  nose,  a  pile 
of  boards  and  some  paddy  (rice)  fields ;  sure  signs 
that  inhabitants  were  near.  We  were  now  joined 
by  about  a  dozen  of  the  sailors,  two  of  whom  had 
cutlasses^  and  the  rest  walking-sticks,  and  a  Portu- 
guese, who  had  been  in  the  long  boat,  and  spoke  a 
little  Spanish  and  English.  Altogether  we  were  a 
remarkable  looking  company,  and  being  high  in 
spirits  from  our  late  wonderful  escape,  we  went  on 
right  merrily,  save  that  our  mirth  was  often  checked 
by  allusions  to  the  other  boat.  We  all  thought  she 
was  lost,  judging  it  impossible  she  could  have 
weathered  such  a  gale,  and  that  all  on  board  must 
have  perished. 

Finding  a  narrow  path,  we  followed  it  over  a  hill 
and  down  a  little  valley,  and  presently  came  to  a 
pumpkm  field,  in  which  was  a  little  native  house, 
and  some  Indians  eating  boiled  pumpkins.  They 
very  kindly  gave  us  some,  and  one  of  them  who 
spoke  Spanish  told  us  there  was  a  village  about  a 
mile  off,  where  the  Resguardo,  (an  officer  under  the 
Spaniards,)  would  receive  and  entertain  us.  He 
went  along  to  show  the  road,  and  off  we  went,  but 
instead  of  one  mile  it  must  have  been  three.  We 
crossed  hills,  went  through  valleys,  picked  our  way 
among  bushes,  through  mud  half-knee  deep,  and 


148  IVIEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

along  the  sea-shore,  fording  a  great  ^  many  small 
brooks,  and  being  wet  several  times  with  rain ;  but 
we  were  used  to  the  rain,  and  did  not  regard  that. 
The  sand  got  into  my  shoes,  and  I  had  to  go  bare- 
foot most  of  the  way.  We  passed  several  natives 
cutting  wood;  met  several  riding  on  bullocks,  one 
of  whom  was  so  polite  as  to  take  off  his  hat  when 
he  saw  us;  and  at  length  came  to  the  village.  It 
was  a  collection  of  some  twenty  or  thirty  huts  by 
the  sea-shore,  and  all  the  windows  and  doors  of  the 
houses  were  crowded  with  women  and  children,  who 
gazed  at  us  as  if  we  had  fallen  from  the  skies. 

Our  guide  led  us  to  the  house  of  the  Eesguardo, 
when  who  should  come  running  to  meet  us  but  Mr. 
Fillin  (the  mate)  and  one  of  the  men  who  had  gone 
in  the  jolly  boat.  "Oh,  captain,"  said  the  former, 
"is  this  you?  How  many  of  you  are  saved?'' 
"Thank  God,  we  are  all  safe,  but  I  thought  you 
were  lost!    Are  you  all  ahve ?"    " Fve  lost foiu' men. 

They  had  arrived  in  sight  of  land  the  previous 
afternoon  about  four  o'clock,  and  when  some  four 
miles  off,  a  tremendous  sea  came  upon  them,  turned 
the  boat  clear  end  over  end,  and  threw  them  all 
into  the  sea.  Two  or  three  clung  to  the  boat,  but 
were  washed  off  by  the  weaves ;  another  (the  best 
swimmer  in  the  ship)  tried  to  swim  ashore,  but  must 
have  been  dashed  against  the  rocks  and  carried  out 
by  a  back  current;  while  the  mate  and  this  other 
man,  taking  each  an  oar,  had  made  for  the  land,  and 
succeeded  in  getting  ashore,  through  the  surf, 
though  with  great  difficulty  and  danger.  ]Mr.  F. 
was  much  bruised  and  cut  about  the  feet  by  the 
coral  rocks,  and  for  two  or  three  days  was  scarcely 
able  to  move.  They  had  spent  the  night  upon  the 
rocks  near  the  place  where  they  landed.  The  next 
morning  they  found  their  boat  and  the  oars,  but  saw 
no  signs  of  their  companions.  They  then  started 
to  find  a  house,  and  after  several  hom's  of  very 
laborious  walking,  arrived  at  this  village,  only  half 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  149 

an  hour  before  we  did,  and  were  just  telling  the 
people  they  supposed  all  the  rest  of  the  ship's  com- 
pany were  lost,  when  we  came  in  sight.  It  was  a 
joyful,  yet  a  sorrowful  meeting. 

The  people  of  the  house  received  us  kindly,  and 
gave  us  hot  coffee,  eggs  and  sweet  cakes,  which,  in 
our  condition,  dripping  wet  and  cold,  were  very 
acceptable  indeed.  The  house  was  crowded  full  of 
people,  old  and  young,  to  gaze  at  us,  and  a  big  Ma- 
nilla bloodhound  in  the  corner  gave  us  surly  growls 
by  way  of  music.  It  was  Friday,  Sept.  BO,  when 
we  landed.  We  stopped  in  the  village  of  Loc, 
island  of  Luban,  at  the  house  of  Senor  Nicolas  Per- 
ralta,  the  chief  man  of  the  village,  and  an  Indian, 
there  being  no  Spaniards  on  the  island.  We  stayed 
there  two  days,  and  were  treated  with  much  kind- 
ness by  Senor  Perralta,  who  gave  us  his  own  best 
room  for  our  lodging.  It  was  not  furnished  with 
beds,  but  we  slept  on  the  bare  and  not  very  even 
floor  with  much  comfort,  when  we  compared  it  with 
the  crowded  rough  bottom  of  the  long-boat.  The 
inhabitants  were  poor,  and  we  bought  our  own  pro- 
visions, which  our  own  cook  and  steward  prepared 
for  us. 

But  my  story  is  growing  too  long,  and  I  must 
draw  it  to  a  close.  We  remained  in  Luban  two 
days ;  then  hired  a  potine,  or  native  schooner,  with 
"  mucho  mulos  velos !"  amazingly  torn  and  ragged 
sails,  for  $100,  in  which  we  left  Luban  on  Sabbath 
morning,  Oct.  2,  for  Manilla,  (according  to  Manilla 
time,  which  we  then  used,  it  was  Saturday.)  We 
reached  Manilla  about  two  o'clock,  p.  m.,  the  next 
day.  The  siUy  captain  of  the  potine  had  almost 
wrecked  us  again  in  a  squall  off  Corregidor  at  mid- 
night, and  had  it  not  been  for  Captain  Smith's  pre- 
sence of  mind,  who  sent  one  of  his  own  men  to  the 
helm,  and  took  command  himself,  we  should  cer- 
tainly have  been  cast  away  on  the  rocks  of  Point 
Limb  ones. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  and  Mr.  G.  Sturgis  were 

13* 


150  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

seated  at  the  fruit  table  when  I  re-entered  their 
house.  For  a  while  they  could  scarce  believe  their 
eyes,  and  it  was  not  till  I  spoke  that  they  could 
believe  it  was  the  same  person  who  had  left  them 
only  two  weeks  before  in  full  hope  of  a  speedy  voy- 
age to  Singapore.  They  received  me  most  kindly. 
Great  Avas  the  sympathy  expressed  by  all  classes 
in  Manilla.  The  news  of  our  shipwreck  and  won- 
derful escape  spread  like  wildfire,  for  every  one  had 
seen  and  admired  the  Harmony,  and  every  one  knew 
and  liked  her  captain.  I  received  my  full  share  of 
sympathy;  but  as  an  offset  to  this,  had  also  the 
satisfaction  of  hearing  that  ^lany  of  the  sailors  in 
the  harbom'  attributed  the  loss  of  the  vessel  entirely 

to  her  having  that clergyman  on  board !     The 

long-boat  was  visited  and  inspected  by  many  in 
Manilla,  who  could  scarce  believe  it  possible  that 
twenty-three  persons  had  been  stowed  aAvay  in  so 
small  a  space;  and  hoAv  we  Aveathered  such  a  gale, 
Avhich  Avas  severely  felt  in  the  roads  at  Manilla, 
Avhere  many  ships  had  dragged  their  anchors,  Avas 
a  Avonder  to  all.  Captain  Cole,  of  the  Delhi,  a  large 
American  vessel,  Avhich  had  been  obliged  to  lie  to 
in  the  same  gale,  told  me  he  considered  our  escape 
little  less  than  miraculous.  Indeed  the  more  I  have 
heard  of  the  ravages  of  that  gale,  the  more  I  am 
astonished  at  our  escape.  During  the  A^ery  time  Ave 
Avere  most  exposed  to  its  fury  in  the  long-boat,  a 
Spanish  vessel,  Avas  driven  ashore  on  Luconia  and 
lost,  and  the  Conrade,  an  English  vessel,  Avas  throAvn 
on  her  beam  ends,  dismasted  and  finally  foundered, 
Avhile  one-half  of  her  creAv  Avere  droAvned. 

When  I  look  back  and  consider  hoAv  many  Avon- 
derful  circumstances  conspired  to  secure  our  safety 
in  the  midst  of  most  imminent  danger,  it  is  hard  to 
believe  that  it  has  been  a  reality.  It  seems,  even 
noAv,  like  some  terrible  dream  from  Avhich  I  have 
hardly  yet  aAvaked. 

It  Avas  most  providential  for  us  that  the  ship 
struck  by  day,  and  not  by  night;  that  her  masts 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  151 

did  not  go  overboard  when  she  struck,  as  they  cer- 
tainly would  have  done,  had  she  not  been  a  new 
and  strong  vessel;  that  we  got  safely  into  the  boats 
in  the  dark  with  that  heavy  sea  running;  that  we 
had  provisions  enough,  and  sails  when  our  oars  Avere 
broken ;  that  we  weathered  that  severe  gale ;  that 
by  daylight  we  were  so  near  the  land ;  that  we 
escaped  the  breakers  by  coming  in  at  high  tide; 
that  we  found  that  little  sheltered  cove;  that  we 
met  such  kind  treatment  at  Luban ;  that  we  arrived 
safely  at  Manilla,  notwithstanding  the  dangers  of 
Corregidor,  and  that  none  of  us  (so  far  as  1  know) 
have  suffered  any  serious  inconvenience  from  so 
much  exposure  to  sea,  and  sun,  and  wind,  and  rain. 
Ail  that  I  experienced  was  a  soreness  in  my  limbs 
and  a  slight  fever  for  several  hours  after  we 
landed  on  Luban.  I  cut  a  walking-stick  the  day  we 
left  that  island,  which  has  been  mounted  and  sent 
to  my  father  as  a  memento  of  that  wonderful  deliv- 
erance, and  I  am  sure  that  all  our  family  Avill  join 
me  in  the  prayer,  that  the  life  thus  spared  may  be 
devoted  to  Plim  who  first  gave  it  to  me,  and  now 
has  rescued  it  from  the  engulfing  sea;  that  though 
I  shall  not  attain  to  the  eminence  of  that  Moses 
who  was  drawn  out  of  the  waters,  I  may  yet,  in 
some  humble  degree,  be  like  him — a  leader  to  res- 
cue God's  chosen  people  in  Chma,  and  lead  them 
like  a  flock  in  the  green  pastures  of  his  holy  word. 
I  must  not  omit  to  mention  two  other  items  of 
great  importance,  in  which  the  hand  of  God  was 
manifested  for  our  preservation;  the  hrst  was  that 
the  cord,  which,  by  means  of  the  foresail,  held  the 
boat's  head  to  the  wind,  did  not  chafe  or  give  way, 
notwithstanding  the  constant  strain  upon  it.  We 
were  very  apprehensive  of  this,  for  it  was  not  as 
thick  as  a  man's  thumb,  and  our  lives  seemed  to  de- 
pend upon  that  little  cord.  The  second  was  that 
the  heavy  gale  we  had  on  Thursday  and  Thursday 
night  was  from  the  west.  Had  it  been  an  easterly 
gale,  hke  the  one  we  experienced  in  the  same  place 


152  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

onl}^  nine  days  before,  it  would  either  have  entirely 
overwhelmed  us,  or  else  have  sent  us  half  way  to 
Cochin  China.  Even  the  heavy  rain,  uncomfortable 
as  it  was,  tended  to  our  safety,  for  it  kept  the  sea 
from  raging  as  it  w^ould  otherwise  have  done.  A 
heavy  rain  has  something  of  the  effect  of  oil  on  the 
w^aters.     It  keeps  the  waves  down. 

As  so  many  persons  w^ere  to  go  in  the  long  boat 
it  was  impossible  to  save  anything,  except  absolute 
necessaries  and  valuables  of  small  size.  All  I  saved, 
therefore,  was  my  watch,  my  pencil  case  given  by 
Mr.  B.,  what  little  specie  I  had  in  the  vessel,  (about 
$100  in  gold,)  the  clothes  on  my  back,  and  a  few 
other  articles  of  dress,  my  Bible,  and  my  cloak. 
Everything  was  Avet  through  by  the  rain  and  salt 
water,  except  my  Bible,  w^hich  1  had  taken  the  pre- 
caution to  envelope  in  the  thick  fold  of  the  cloak, 
and  which  was  thus  only  slightly  damp.  Everything 
else  was  abandoned.  Fortunately  I  had  but  a 
small  part  of  my  books  with  me,  perhaps  one-fifth. 
Among  these  were  all  my  Chinese  books ;  a  volume 
of  Flavel,  which  I  prize  above  its  weight  in  gold ;  a 
number  of  valuable  papers,  and  all  my  written  ser- 
mons. With  my  clothes  and  other  articles  thus 
abandoned,  were  some  parcels  sent  from  the  mis- 
sionaries in  China  to  their  friends  in  Singapore, 
Bangkok  and  Malacca. 

Arrived  at  Manilla,  it  was  with  some  difficulty  I 
could  muster  a  suit  of  clothes  to  "go  ashore."  I 
had  my  coat  and  pantaloons,  a  pair  of  slippers,  a 
shirt  without  bosom  and  collar,  a  pair  of  woollen 
stockings,  and  a  cap  that  barely  covered  my  head. 
I  had  no  vest,  but  that  was  concealed  by  buttoning 
the  coat;  collars  are  not  indispensable,  and  I 
borrowed  a  rusty  black  cravat  from  Capt.  Smith, 
who  happened  to  have  two  or  three.  In  such  a 
suit,  with  my  sunburnt  face,  (from  which  the  skin 
all  peeled  off  in  a  few  days,)  my  Luban  walking- 
stick,  and  my  cloak  on  my  arm,  I  set  foot  in  Man- 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  153 

ilia  again.     But  I  was  among  kind  friends.     Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Moore  supplied  every  want. 

I  was  at  some  loss,  then,  what  course  to  take,  but 
finally  thought  it  best  to  return  to  China.  Mr. 
Elgar,  the  brother  of  Mrs.  Moore,  gave  me  a  free 
passage  to  Hong  Kong,  in  a  vessel  of  which  he  was 
part  owner,  and  for  that  place  I  embarked  October 
10th,  with  several  fellow-passengers.  When  we  left 
Manilla,  in  the  Harmony,  the  port-captain,  who 
came  off  to  give  the  ship  her  clearance,  was  very 
merry,  and  said  to  me,  "Ah,  senor  padre,  vengas 
casar  senor  Moore !"  (Ah,  sir  priest,  you  only  came 
here  to  marry  Mr.  Moore.)  But  when  he  came  to 
give  the  Diana  her  clearance,  his  manner  was  quite 
altered,  and  almost  melancholy,  as  he  said^  "Ah, 
senor  padre,  no  otro  matrimonio!  no  otro  matri- 
monio ! ' 

We  reached  Hong  Kong  safely,  though  after  a 
rather  rough  passage,  on  the  17th  of  October;  just 
four  months  after  I  had  left  Macao  for  Singapore. 
Through  what  varied  scenes  I  had  passed,  yet  out 
of  them  all  the  Lord  delivered  me.  In  the  Sea 
Queen  I  had  an  opportunity  of  studying  the  first 
part  of  Acts  xxvii.  From  my  experience  on  board 
the  Harmony,  I  have  come  to  a  better  understanding 
of  the  latter  part  of  the  same  chapter. 

"Oh,  that  men  would  praise  the  Lord  for  his  good- 
ness, and  for  his  wonderful  works  to  the  children 
of  men.  And  let  them  sacrifice  the  sacrifices  of 
thanksgivings,  and  declare  his  works  with  rejoicing. 
They  that  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships,  that  do  busi- 
ness in  the  great  waters,  these  see  the  zvorks  of  the 
Lord,  and  his  wonders  in  the  deep.  For  he  com- 
mandeth,  and  raiseth  the  stormy  wind,  which  lifteth 
up  the  waves  thereof  They  mount  up  to  the 
heavens,  they  go  down  again  to  the  depths;  their 
soul  is  melted  because  of  trouble.  They  reel  to  and 
fro,  and  stagger  like  a  drunken  man,  and  are  at 
their  wits'  end.  Then  they  cry  unto  the  Lord, 
and  he  bringeth  them  out   of  their  distresses.     He 


154  MEMOIR    OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

maketh  the  storm  a  calm,  so  that  the  waves  thereof 
are  still.  Then  they  are  glad,  because  they  be 
quiet.     jSo  he  hrincjeth  them  to  their  desired  haven'' 

W.    M.    LOWRIE. 


Macao,  December  17th,  1842. 

]My  Dear  Father — The  Bazaar  arrived  here  to- 
day from  Singapore,  of  which  I  was  informed  by 
having  a  packet  of  letters  sent  to  me.  Opening  it,  I 
found  letters  for  Mr.  Buell,  Mr.  McBryde,  Dr.  Hep- 
burn, and  to  my  great  satisfaction,  two  for  m3^self, 
one  of  which  was  from  you,  dated  May  12th.  I  read 
it  very  speedily,  and  could  hardly  refrain  from  tears 
as  I  did  so.  Had  you  known  precisely  my  feelings 
at  the  present  time,  you  could  hardly  have  written 
anything  more  appropriate  than  its  conclusion.  It 
was  written  to  encourage  me  in  trials,  and  to  point 
me  to  the  sure  source  of  consolation.  Trials  have 
come  upon  me  within  the  last  twelve  months,  wave 
after  wave,  and  each  one,  hke  Job's  messengers, 
more  severe  than  the  preceding,  and  for  awhile  I 
thought  I  could  hardly  sustain  them.  My  leaving 
home  was  a,  trial,  but  for  that  I  was  prepared  by- 
long  expectation,  and  sustained  by  special  communi- 
cations of  grace.  My  delays  in  the  Sea  Queen,  and 
the  exceedingly  unpleasant  accommodations  there 
tried  me  much  more  severely ;  but  it  was  profitable, 
and  taught  me  many  useful  lessons,  the  benefit  of 
which  I  experienced  when  shipAvrecked  in  the  Har- 
mony. Besides  these  outAvard  trials,  I  have  expe- 
rienced much  anxiety  in  deciding  on  the  best  course 
to  be  pursued  in  relation  to  the  China  mission.  In 
these  circumstances  you  can  scarcely  miderstand 
how  much  I  was  encouraged  by  that  train  of  thought 
which  connects  our  tribulations  here,  and  our  poor 
weak  services,  with  the  glory  of  the  Saviour,  and 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  155 

the  inconceivable  displays  of  his  wisdom,  justice, 
love,  and  mercy,  as  manifested  to  the  universe  on 
the  judgment  day ! 

Affectionately  3' our  son, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Macao,  December  24th,  1842. 

My  Dear  Mother — Yesterday  was  a  happy  day 
for  me.  You  know  how  I  have  been  disappointed 
hitherto  about  getting  my  letters.  They  had  all 
gone  on  to  Singapore,  and  when  the  Bazaar  came  up, 
and  did  not  bring  them,  I  was  afraid  that  I  might 
have  a  long  time  to  wait  yet,  before  they  came  to 
hand.  Yesterday  morning  Mr.  Bridgman's  ser- 
vant came  over  from  Hong  Kong,  and  brought  me 
a  packet  that  had  been  sent  there  by  mistake.  1 
opened  it,  and  behold,  one,  two,  three,  four,  yes, 
fourteen  letters,  from  father  and  mother,  and  John 
C,  and  Elizabeth,  and  John  M.  I  put  up  my  Chi- 
nese books  in  all  haste,  and  sent  off  to  tell  my 
teacher  he  "need  not  come  to-day,"  and  then — did 
not  I  have  a  feast  ?  You  do  not  know  in  the  United 
States  what  a  letter  is  worth.  When  you  are  sepa- 
rated only  a  few  hundred  miles,  and  have  regular 
mails,  it  is  nothing  very  special  to  have  a  letter  once 
a  month  or  so.  But  when  the  sun  is  shining  on 
you,  while  your  friends  are  sleeping  on  the  other 
side  of  the  world,  ah,  that  is  a  dilferent  thing.  My 
first  emotion  was  one  of  sincere  gratitude  for  such 
a  favour;  and  my  second,  perplexity  which  to  open 
first;  and  you  would  have  been  amused  could  you 
have  seen  me,  while  I  was  reading.  Sometimes  I 
laughed  till  the  tears  came  into  my  eyes ;  sometimes 
a  sentence  brought  other  tears,  and  yet  not  tears  of 
sorrow  these;  and  sometimes  a  sigh  escaped  me,  as 
I  thought  of  the  blasted  hopes  and  disappointments 
implied  in  some  of  the  various  items  01  news  that 


156  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

met  my  e3^e.  I  seemed  to  be  among  you  again,  and 
lived  over  the  day  of  parting,  and  the  few  preced- 
ing weeks.  And  yet,  eleven  months  and  more  have 
Eassed  since  then !  and  what  remarkable  things  have 
appened  in  that  time !  at  least  to  myself,  for  as  far 
as  I  can  gather,  you  have  had  but  few  important 
changes  since  I  left. 

....  I   am  well,  and    contented,  and    happy, 
though  still  sometimes  lonely,  and  occasionally  per- 
plexed.    My  future  movements  are  still  uncertain. 
With  much  affection,  and  many  fond  remembran- 
ces, 

I  remain  truly  yours, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


3Iacao,  December  27th,  1842. 

James  Lenox,  Esq. — My  Dear  Sir: — I  have 
latel}^  received,  by  the  Bazaar,  a  volume  of  the 
British  Reformers,  which  my  father  informs  me  is 
from  yourself.  The  receipt  of  it  gave  me  much  plea- 
sure, not  merely  on  account  of  the  intrinsic  worth 
of  the  book,  but  principally  because  it  assured  me 
I  was  still  kindly  remembered  in  a  family,  with 
which  my  intercourse,  though  short,  was  very  plea- 
sant. 

A  missionary  to  China,  I  find,  has  need  of  a  good 
many  qualifications ;  and  at  present  it  seems  proba- 
ble that  one  quahfication  of  which  he  will  find  pecu- 
liar need,  is  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  the 
writings  and  spirit  of  the  ancient  Reformers  from 
Popery.  One  of  the  very  greatest  difficulties  with 
which  we  shall  have  to  contend,  will  arise  from  the 
opposition  of  the  Roman  Catholics.  It  is  impossible 
to  say  how  many  native  Roman  Catholics  there  are 
in  China.  Probably  the  accounts  their  priests  give 
of  their  numbers  are  exaggerated ;  but  it  is  certain 
there  are  many.      Their  priests,  too,  are  far  more 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  157 

niimeroiis   than   the   Protestant   missionaries;   and 
being  all  unmarried,  and  many  of  them  zealous  and 
active,  and  enterprising,  they  bid   fair   to   go   far 
ahead  of  Protestant  missions.     I  do  not  think  that 
their  celibacy  is  any  advantage  in  the  long  run,  nor 
would  I  wish  to  see  many  unmarried  Protestant 
missionaries  here ;  but  a  few  of  the  right  spirit  are 
greatly  needed.     If  we  had  some  twenty  or  thirty 
single    men,  of  thoroughly  cultivated   minds,  and 
prepared  to  submit  to  trials  and  privations  to  which 
a  lady  ought   not   to   be    exposed,  I   should   not, 
humanly  speaking,  be   much  afraid  of  the  contest 
with  Popery  in  China.     At  present,  however,  there 
is  no  prospect  whatever  of  such  a  band  coming  out 
to  join  us ;  and  the  few  who  are  here  are  scarcely 
able, — indeed  we  are  not  able, — to  occupy  the  ports 
already  thrown  open,  but  must  stand  still  and  see 
the    Popish   priests   go,  not   two  and  two,  but  by 
sixes  and  tens,  and  establish  themselves  in  every 
place  where  a  foothold   can  be  gained.     Already 
they  have  erected  a  bishoprick  at  Shanghai,  though 
I  have  not  heard  that  a  single  Protestant  missionary 
is  going  there.     I  do  not  think  that  many  of  the 
priests  m  China,  or  in  that  swarming  Romish  hive, 
Luconia,  are  men  of  much  abihty,  or  of  extensive 
acquirements.     Some  of  them,  however,  are;  and 
they  will  easily  make  up  in  numbers  what  they 
lack  in  mental  culture,  while  the  perfect  subordina- 
tion of  their  system  gives  them  advantages  which 
we  look  at,  but  cannot  hope  to  equal.     There  is, 
indeed,  scarcely  anything  in  reference  to  China  that 
gives  me  so  many  distressing  apprehensions  as  the 
activity  of  the  Romish  priests,  contrasted  as  it  is 
with  the  apathy  of  Protestant  churches  in  England 
and  America.    England  has  only  three,  and  America 
only  thirteen  missionaries  actually  in  China ;  and  if 
the  whole  number  labouring  for  China  were  collected, 
they  would  not  amount  to  thirty,  of  whom  not  more 
than  one-half  are  qualified  by  acquaintance  with  the 
language  for  efficient  labour.     It  is  true  that  the 
14 


158  MEMOIR    OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

God  we  serve  is  able  abundantly  to  produce  the 
greatest  effects  by  the  fewest  and  simplest  means, 
but  the  time  does  not  seem  yet  to  have  come  when 
a  nation  shall  be  born  in  a  day ;  and  till  that  time 
comes,  perhaps  1  should  say,  in  order  that  it  may 
come,  we  must  use  means  in  some  degree  propor- 
tioned to  the  results  we  hope  for.  But  I  have  filled 
up  my  sheet  with  Avhat,  perhaps,  will  not  be  very 
interesting  to  you.  I  had  no  intention  of  writing 
at  all  on  this  subject  when  I  took  up  my  pen,  but 
the  mention  of  the  British  Beformers  led  my  mind 
to  a  subject  that  often  has  a  painful  interest  to  me. 
I  cannot  see  through  it,  but  I  feel  that  we  who 
labour  in  China  will  have  great  need  of  the  "faith 
and  patience  of  the  saints"  of  olden  times,  if  we  ex- 
pect to  maintain  our  standing  here  against  the  last 
efforts  and  long-protracted  dying  agonies,  for  such 
I  believe  they  will  be,  of  the  man  of  sin. 

I  often  think  of  j^ou,  and  of  the  pleasant  Sabbath 
I  spent  at  New  Hamburgh.  It  would  give  me  great 
pleasure  to  hear  from  you  at  any  time ;  a  lettc7%  in 
these  ends  of  the  earth,  is  an  object  of  great  value. 

I  am,  with  much  respect  and  esteem,  truly  yours, 

W.  M.  LOAVRIE. 


Macao,  December  29th,  1842. 

My  Dear  Father — Since  my  letter  of  December 
17,  sent  by  the  Delhi,  I  have  received  3^ours  of 
February  22  and  March  12,  May  3  and  June  4, 
for  all  of  which  I  am  under  very  great  obligations 
to  you.  It  is  a  little  remarkable,  that  though  you 
have  probably  less  time  for  writing  than  any  of  the 
family,  yet  you  have  written  more  than  all  the  rest 
of  them  put  together,  and  given  me  more  news. 
Many  particulars  in  your  letters  have  interested  me 
very  deeply,  particularly  those  concerning  the 
fundS;  and  your  efforts  to  increase  them,  and  your 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  159 

accounts  of  Princeton  students,  and  the  prospect  of 
more  missionaries.  As  to  the  former  subject,  I  fear 
it  will  be  many  years  before  the  Church  comes  up 
eA^en  in  a  moderate  degree  to  her  duty.  Indeed,  1 
have  long  thought,  that  the  present  generation  of 
Christians  will  never  do  all  that  may  be  expected. 
As  long  as  a  Christian  man  is  allowed  to  give  five 
dollars  for  his  annual  subscription  to  the  missionary 
work,  and  the  next  day  buy  fifty  dollars'  worth  of 
tuhps,  and  yet  retain  his  standing  in  the  Church,  I 
have  little  hopes  of  seeing  the  right  spirit  prevail. 
I  have  thought,  therefore,  for  years,  that  our  hopes 
are  in  the  Sabbath-schools.  None  are  so  easily 
interested  in  missions  as  children,  and  none  may  be, 
so  easily  trained  to  proper  principles  as  the}^  I 
have  sent  by  the  Akbar  four  letters  to  Sabbath- 
school  children.  They  are  just  such  as  I  used  to 
speak  to  the  children  of  my  vSabbath-schools,  and 
nothing  that  ever  I  said  interested  them  so  much. 
They  are  intended  for  the  "Foreign  Missionary," 
and  I  shall  probably  send  some  more  soon.  If  they 
are  judged  suitable,  I  can  furnish  a  good  number  of 
them  gradually.  Of  course  originality  is  not  the 
main  thing  in  such  articles,  although  I  know  that  to 
four-fifths  of  the  Sunday-school  children,  in  our 
churches,  ev^en  to  those  at  your  very  doors,  the 
facts  I  have  stated,  and  may  yet  state,  will  possess 
all  the  freshness  of  some  new  discovery.  I  have 
seen  a  whole  school  staring  with  eyes  and  mouth 
open,  at  the  narration  of  the  commonest  facts  in 
regard  to  the  heathen ;  and  it  is  mainly  for  want  of 
early  instruction  and  training  in  regard  to  the  facts 
and  principles  of  missions,  that  you  find  it  so  diffi- 
cult to  bring  the  churches  to  give  freely  of  their 
substance  to  further  them.  This  opinion  is  formed 
on  a  more  thorough  knowledge  of  the  real  state  of 
the  case,  than  is  generally  possessed.  I  hope  to 
send  soon  some  thoughts  on  this  subject,  founded 
mainly  on  facts  that  I  have  seen,  and  inferences 
that  seem  to  me  to  be  justly  drawn  from  them. 


160  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

....  I  propose  to  study  Chinese  pretty  dili- 

fently  for  the  next  three  months;  by  that  time  1 
ope  to  hear  from  you,  and  to  know  definitely  who 
is   coming,  if  anj^body,  and  when.     After  that  I 
may  have  to  go  to  Hong  Kong,  as  all  the  mission- 
aries will  probably  leave  this  place  in  March. 
With  much  love  for  yourself  and  all  the  family, 

I  remain  your  affectionate  son, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Macao,  December  29th,  1842. 

Mr.  John  Lloyd — My  Dear  John  : — Though  I 
have  several  friends,  who,  if  they  knew  I  was  writing 
to  you,  might  think  they  had  a  prior  claim  to  yours 
just  now,  yet  the  associations  and  recollections  of 
this  day  lead  my  mind  most  strongly  to  yourself; 
and  though  I  have  written  one  letter  of  some  length 
to  you  since  I  came  out,  yet  I  feel  as  if  I  wanted 
to  send  another.   .   .   . 

This  day  is  the  anniversary  of  my  spiritual  birth; 
eight  years  ago  to-day!  What  would  I  not  have 
given  eight  years  ago,  to  have  been  assured  that  I 
should  persevere  thus  long  in  the  Christian  course  ? 
If  any  one  had  shown  me  all  the  temptations  and 
trials  I  was  to  experience  in  that  time,  and  then 
assured  me  that  I  should  survive  them  all,  and  be 
the  better  for  them,  I  could  scarcelj'^  have  believed 
him.  Yet  it  has  been  so,  and  having  obtained  help 
of  God,  I  continue  to  this  day,  and  humbl}^  hope, 
that  through  him  I  shall  persevere  even  to  the  end. 
I  trust  he  has  taught  me  to  look  upward  both  for 
strength  and  for  happiness,  and  more  so  lately  than 
ever  before.  My  soul  doth,  therefore,  magnify  the 
Lord. 

I  spent  the  greater  part  of  this  afternoon  in  read- 
ing over  your  letters.  I  wish  1  had  yourself  here 
to  talk  to,  for  I  sometimes  feel  a  little  lonely;  especi- 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  161 

ally  as  both  my  colleagues  are  at  present  at  other 
stations,  and  it  will  be  some  little  time  before  we 
can  get  together. 

So  many  things  crowd  upon  me,  that  I  hardly 
know  what  to  write  about.  I  could  easily  tell  you 
a  long  story  of  adventures  and  perils,  and  strange 
sights  and  scenes,  and  Avonderful  deliverances,  but 
I  have  not  time  for  that,  and  you  will  probably  see 
some  of  them  in  the  Chronicle.  Many  of  them  I 
must  reserve  for  your  private  ear, ''when  we  meet 
in  Pekin,  China,"  as  you  said  in  one  of  the  letters  I 
read  this  afternoon.  I  am  now  devoting  some  fixe 
or  six  hours  daily  to  Chinese ;  and  though  as  yet  I 
have  made  little  progress,  (it  is  only  a  month  since 
I  commenced  it  regularly,)  yet  I  feel  somewhat 
encouraged.  It  will  be  lon^,  however,  I  fear,  before 
I  can  speak  it  at  all ;  and  I  fear  that  at  best,  I  shall 
have  to  speak  "with  stammering  lips  and  another 
tongue,  to  this  people."  Owing  to  uncertainty  as 
to  my  future  location,  I  have  thought  it  best  to 
commence  the  Court  dialect,  (commonl}^  called  the 
Mandarin,)  which  is  not  spoken,  except  by  the  lit- 
erati and  public  officers.  My  progress  will,  on  this 
account,  be  slower  at  first,  but  I  think  more  rapid, 
steady,  and  successful  in  the  end. 

I  know  you  are  anxious  to  know  how  I  feel  about 
matters  and  things  in  general,  and  thoudi  it  is  yet 
too  soon  to  speak  definitely,  yet  to  you  1  can  speak 
freely;  for  you  will  know  how  to  account  for  it,  if 
I  should  afterwards  change  my  opinions.  So  far, 
my  fears  have  been  mostly  disappointed,  and  my 
expectations  more  than  realized.  I  think  that  for 
two  or  three  years  before  leaving  the  United  States, 
I  had  as  little  romance  in  regard  to  missions,  as  any 
one  could  have,  who  had  never  been  actually  on 
heathen  ground.  Consequently  I  have  not  been 
disappointed.  Parting  with  friends  was  a  sore  trial, 
but  1  had  so  long  expected  it,  and  prayed  for  sus- 
taining grace,  that  I  found  it  far  less  difficult  to 
bear  than  I  had  anticipated.  It  was  a  great  relief 
14* 


1G2  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  * 

to  me  that  it  was  quickly  over.  The  ship  left  the 
Avharf  at  half-past  twelve,  and  I  was  truly  glad  that 
none  of  my  friends  came  with  me  to  the  Hook.  I 
have  at  present  no  wish  to  return.  Since  I  landed 
in  China  I  have,  as  you  are  aware,  had  a  pretty  full 
share  of  trials.  Now  no  chastisement  for  the  pre- 
sent is  joyous  but  grievous.  So  I  found  them. 
Nevertheless,  although  the  remembrance  of  them  is 
yet  fresh,  and  the  unpleasant  effects  of  them  still 
continue  to  a  degree,  yet  from  what  I  have  already 
felt,  1  am  full}^  assured  that  afterwards  they  shall 
yield  to  me  the  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness. 
In  general  the  year,  (it  is  nearly  a  year,)  which 
has  past  since  I  left  New  York,  has  heen  one  of  the 
happiest  I  have  ever  spent ;  and  I  now  look  back 
on  it  with  as  much  satisfaction  as  any  other  equal 
portion  of  my  life,  perhaps  I  should  say  with  more 
satisfaction.  I  came  out  almost  unwillingly.  I  felt 
loath  to  leave  a  field  I  had  lon^  desired  to  occupy : 
I  have  not  found  everything  here  arranged  as  I 
desired,  nor  have  I  been  able  to  accomplish  all  that 
1  wished.  I  have  been  in  unpleasant  society:  1 
have  suffered  in  body  :  I  have  hung  in  the  jaws  of 
death  for  hours  together,  not  expecting  to  live  from 
one  moment  to  another :  I  have  been  obliged  to  wait 
for  months  and  months  for  letters  from  home,  and  I 
am  now  in  a  station  where  I  have  no  colleagues  in 
the  same  mission,  and  do  not  expect  to  have  for 
some  months ;  and  yet  with  all  these  adverse  cir- 
cumstances, I  am  glad  I  came,  and  pray  that  I  may 
be  suffered  to  remain.  The  work  is  great;  there 
is  plenty  of  it.  A  wide  and  effectual  door  is  opened, 
there  are  few  to  enter,  while  the  enemy  is  very 
busy  sowing  tares.  I  do  not  think  there  is  that 
promise  of  nnmediate  usefulness  here  that  there  is 
in  many  other  places.  I  hardly  hope  to  see  such 
churches  formed  here  soon  as  have  been  formed  in. 
Africa,  and  in  India,  and  in  the  islands  of  the  sea. 
Indeed,  I  may  never  have  the  privilege  of  seeing 
any  Christian  church  formed   here;  yet,  notwith- 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  163 

standing  all  this,  I  think  the  prospect  of  usefulness 
is  very  great  indeed ;  and  for  men  of  the  right  spirit 
and  qualifications,  who  are  willing  to  wait  for  the 
fruit  of  their  labours  till  they  enter  heaven,  if  it  be 
their  Master's  will  that  they  wait  thus  long,  I  know 
of  foAv  fields  so  inviting.  At  present,  I  think  the 
great  difficulty  is  the  language ;  but  every  year  this 
difficulty  is  becoming  less,  as  new  facihties  in  the 
way  of  books  for  its  acquisition  are  being  prepared, 
and  places  are  opened  where  free  intercourse  with 
persons  who  speak  it  in  its  purity  is  allowed.  In  a 
few  years  I  think  it  will  not  be  considered  a  very 
difficult  task  for  persons  of  good  common  sense,  per- 
severance, and  ordinary  abilities  to  acquire  it.  At 
present,  however,  let  nobody  who  cannot  study 
Latin  and  Greek,  and  who  is  subject  to  the  dys- 
pepsia, come  out  to  China.  They  had  better  go 
elsewhere.  Such  being  my  views,  dear  brother,  I 
have  some  commands  to  lay  upon  you, — the  first 
and  chief  of  which  is,  get  ready  to  come  out  here 
as  quick  as  you  can.  I  am  going  to  write  to  father, 
and  tell  him  to  catch  you  by  the  back  of  the  neck 
and  put  you  down  in  the  hold  of  one  of  Mr.  Oly- 
phant's  ships,  if  you  ever  talk  of  going  to  any  other 
part  of  the  world.     I'll  take  charge  of  you  out  here. 

Seriously,  though,  I  want  you  and to  come 

out  to  China;  and  if  either  of  you  do  not  come,  I 
shaU  expect  a  very  satisfactory  and  lengthened  com- 
munication from  you,  showing  good  reasons  for  not 
doing  it.  I  speak  of  you  two  in  particular,  because 
I  think  you  as  weU  qualified  as  any  of  the  mission- 
ary students  I  know  in  the  Seminary,  for  this  field. 
The  second  command  is,  to  pay  considerable  atten- 
tion to  the  Roman  Catholic  controversy;  you  may 
find  need  for  it  here.  Thirdly,  in  regard  to  wives ; 
if  you  can  get  good  ones,  get  them  by  aU  means ; 
but  I  beg  you  not  to  delay  coming  for  want  of  them. 
Shall  the  heathen  perish,  and  your  period  of  active 
labour,  short  at  best,  be  rendered  still  shorter, 
because   you  cannot  come  alone  to  laboui-,  where 


164  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

merchants  spend  their  ten,  twent}^,  and  thirty  j^ears 
in  celibacy,  for  the  sake  of  gain?  .  .  .  Spend  your 

vacations  in  looking  for  wives,  (Dr. 's  advice 

to  the  contrary,  notwithstanding,)  but  do  not  keep 
the  ship  in  waiting.  I  do  not  know  how  I  shall 
get  along  without  one.  There  is  at  present  no  pros- 
pect of  my  getting  one,  but  I  am  not  sorry  that  I 
took  the  course  I  did  in  this  matter.  My  opinions 
may  change  hereafter;  when  they  do,  perhaps  I'll 
tell  you. 

I  could  write  much  more — indeed,  I  feel  loath  to 
stop,  but  I  must  write  another  letter  or  tAvo  to-night, 
as  the  vessel  goes  soon.  Dear  brother,  how  often 
I  think  of  you,  and  long  to  see  you !  The  memory 
of  joys  that  are  past  is  sweet  to  my  soul. 

That  the  richest  of  heavens  blessings  may  ever 
rest  upon  you  is  the  prayer  of 

Your  brother  in  Christ, 

W.   M.   LOWRIE. 


CHAPTER  ly. 

1843. 


Residence  in  Macao — Voyage  \ip  the  Coast — Description  of  Amoy  and 
Ciiang  Cliow — Return  to  Macao. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year,  Mr.  McBryde  and 
his  wife  were  obhged  to  leave  China  on  account  of 
the  failure  of  his  health;  and  in  the  summer.  Dr. 
Hepburn  and  his  family  arrived  at  Macao,  from  Sin- 

fapore.  Mr.  Lowrie  spent  his  time  chiefly  at 
lacao,  engaged  in  the  stud}^  of  the  Chinese  lan- 
guage, and  preaching  on  the  Sabbath  to  the  Ame- 
rican and  European  residents  of  that  place.  In 
August  he  commenced  a  voyage  to  the  north,  with 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  165 

the  intention  of  visiting  all  the  newly-opened  cities, 
to  make  inquiries  as  to  their  relative  advantages  for 
missionary  labour.  His  description  of  Amoy  and 
Chang  Chow,  will  be  found  in  the  following  jour- 
nals. Proceeding  from  Amoy  to  the  north,  owing 
to  contrary  winds,  the  voyage  was  slow,  and  they 
were  several  times  driven  to  seek  for  shelter  on  the 
coast,  by  stress  of  weather.  After  almost  reaching 
Chusan,  the  vessel  was  driven  back  by  the  north- 
east monsoon,  and  the  voyage  was  then  relin- 
quished. 

In  the  meantime  the  Executive  Committee  had 
decided  to  occupy  three  stations  in  China, — one  in 
the  Canton  province,  one  at  Amoy,  and  the  other 
at  Ningpo  or  Shanghai,  as  might  be  found  most 
eligible.  Dr.  Hepburn  was  assigned  to  Amoy,  and 
after  being  once  driven  back  by  a  severe  gale,  he 
reached  his  field  of  labour  in  October. 

During  his  residence  at  Macao,  the  correspon- 
dence of  Mr.  Lowrie  with  the  Executive  Committee 
at  home  was  very  full,  and  contained  much  infor- 
mation of  great  service  to  them  in  deciding  on  the 
various  questions  relating  to  the  missionary  work 
in  this  great  field  of  labour.  Active  preparations 
were  made  by  them  during  this  year  to  send  out 
a  large  missionary  force,  which  will  be  noticed  in 
the  proper  place. 

At  the  close  of  this  chapter  will  be  found  a  pro- 
clamation of  Sir  Henry  Pottinger,  "Her  Britannic 
Majesty's  plenipotentiary,  &c.  &c.,"  censuring  the 
visit  of  Messrs.  Abeel  and  LowriO;  to  the  city  of 
Chang  ChoAv.  This  proclamation,  and  the  letter  to 
the  Chinese  authorities,  are  extraordinary  papers, 
in  more  respects  than  one.  They  were  uncalled 
for, — no  complaint  had  been  made,  and  Sir  Henry 
himself  became  the  informer.  They  were  insulting 
and  arrogant,  for  he  censures  American  citizens, 
who  were  in  no  respect  amenable  to  him,  or  subject 
to  his  jurisdiction.  They  were  based  on  a  false 
assumption,  for  the  supplementary  treaty  had  not 


166  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

then  been  published,  and  no  law  or  regulation  had 
been  infringed.  The  inference  that  they  passed 
themselves  for  Englishmen  was  equally  gratuitous, 
and  was  contradicted  in  the  very  account  that  drew 
forth  his  impotent  rebuke.  There  is  something 
ludicrous,  moreover,  in  the  charge  that  two  unarmed 
and  peaceable  men  had  forced  their  way  amono;  fifty 
thousand  men,  and  there  bearded  their  highest 
officers.  Mr.  Abeel  was  absent,  and  the  duty 
devolved  on  his  associate  in  the  alleged  trespass,  to 
assert  their  rights  as  American  citizens,  and  to  de- 
cline the  jurisdiction  so  arrogantty  assumed.  Had 
he  used  muc^h  stronger  language,  few  of  his  coun- 
trymen would  have  ibeen  displeased. 


Macao,  February  24th,  1843. 

My  Dear  Mother — .  ...  I  have  just  heard  that 
Mr.  Canfield  [of  the  African  mission,]  is  dead.  This 
was  unexpected  and  most  distressing  news,  though 
I  never  thought  that  either  he  or  Mr.  Alward  would 
endure  that  climate  as  well  as  I  probably  would 
have  done.  If  the  hand  of  God's  providence  had 
not  so  remarkabl}^  brought  me  here  in  spite  of  m}'- 
self ;  and  preserved  me  through  dangers,  when  time 
and  again  it  seemed  as  though  I  should  be  over- 
whelmed in  the  waves,  I  should  almost  wish  that  I 
had  gone  to  Africa.  The  curse  seems  still  to  rest 
on  Africa.  Ethiopia  stretches  out  her  hand,  but 
her  teachers  are  removed  far  off.  She  still  sits  in 
darkness.  Oh  that  light  may  speedily  arise  upon 
her !  At  times  1  can  hardly  help  wishing  m^^self 
there,  if  it  were  only  to  escape  the  drudgery  of  this 
terrible  language.  Yet  I  do  not  see  much  reason 
for  discouragement  so  far;  countin2^  up  the  other 
day,  I  found  myself  master  of  more  tlian  six  himdred 
characters,  which,  for  only  three  months  of  uninter- 
rupted attention,  is   pretty  good   progress  j  better 


MEMOIR   or   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  167 

than  I  expected.  By  the  time  the  Chinese  tailor 
"rubs  a  crowbar  down  to  a  needle,"  I  hope  to  un- 
derstand the  language  pretty  well.  But  when  will 
that  be? 

February  25th.  Saturday  night!  How  many, 
many  thoughts  of  former  days  and  former  joys 
crowd  around  me,  as  I  lay  by  my  books  and  papers, 
to  prepare  for  the  coming  Sabbath !  How  the  time 
rolls  on !  It  seems  but  a  day  since  the  ship  left  the 
wharf,  in  my  own  native  land ;  yet  more  than  a  year 
has  flown  away,  and  I  have  passed  through  scenes 
that  make  me  feel  as  if  many  years  had  been 
crowded  into  one.  I  have  seen  joy  and  sorrow  since 
that  time.  I  have  felt  my  heart  uplifted  as  on 
eagles'  wings,  and  again  it  has  sunk  to  the  earth. 
I  have  looked  upon  the  ocean  when  calm  as  a  sleep- 
ing infant's  slumbers.  I  have  laid  my  hand  upon 
its  foam-crested  waves,  and  felt  that  a  half-inch 
plank  and  a  slender  cord  alone  preserved  me  from 
going  down  like  lead  in  the  mighty  waters.  I  have 
seen  plan  after  plan  fail,  and  hope  after  hope  disap- 
pointed. I  have  stood  a  solitary  stranger  amidst 
thousands  who  spoke  a  different  language,  without 
being  able  to  utter  a  w^ord  that  they  could  under- 
stand. Again  and  again  have  I  been  taught  to  say, 
"I  am  a  stranger  in  the  earth."  Yet,  withal,  light 
has  arisen  to  me  in  darkness,  joy  has  come  to  me  in 
sorrow,  and  hope  has  sprung  up  after  disappoint- 
ments; for  "tribulation  worketh  patience,  and  pa- 
tience experience,  and  experience  hope,  and  hope 
maketh  not  ashamed."  The  love  of  God  is  shed 
abroad  upon  me,  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the  grace 
of  Christ  is  suiiicient  for  me.  Would  I  go  back  ? 
no !  Do  I  regret  that  I  came  ?  no !  Lonely  I  am 
at  times ;  sorrowful  often ;  perplexed,  but  not  in 
despair;  cast  down,  but  not  destroyed.  The  past 
is  gone,  but  its  pleasant  remembrances  and  painful 
lessons  remain ;  and  deeply  as  some  of  them  have 
been  felt,  already  I  can  say, 


168  MEMOIR   OF  WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

''  The  sunshine  to  the  flower  may  give 

The  tints  that  charm  the  sight, 

But  scentless  would  that  flow'ret  live 

If  skies  were  always  bright. 
Dark  clouds  and  showers  its  scent  bestow, 
And  purest  joy  is  born  of  woe." 

The  future  is  still  future,  lon^  or  short,  happy  or 
mournful,  "  all  to  me  unknown ; '  but  I  know  what 
is  far  better,  "  The  Lord  reigneth,  let  the  earth  re- 
joice." .... 

Yours  affectionately, 

W.   M.   LoWRIE. 


Macao,  May  14th,  1843. 

IMy  Dear  Mother —  ...  It  is  Sabbath  night,  and 
though  I  do  not  often  write  letters  on  this  day,  yet 
occasionally  I  feel  it  a  privilege  to  spend  a  part  of 
this  day  in  epistolary  correspondence  of  a  particular 
kind.  I  do  not  do  it  for  the  sake  of  savmg  time, 
but  on  the  same  principle  that  would  induce  me,  if 
in  America,  to  diversify  the  exercises  of  the  day 
by  Christian  conversation  w^ith  those  around  me. 
Before  breakfast  this  morning,  a  Chinaman  came  to 
my  door  with  a  couple  of  letters,  sent  to  me  from 
Hong  Kong.  They  w^ere  from  father,  dated  Aug. 
30th  and  December  loth,  1842,  both  overland,  but 
delayed  a  good  deal  in  arriving.  After  breakfast,  I 
spent  some  time  in  preparing  for  preaching.  ^  I 
preach  now  every  Sabbath  in  the  chapel  here,  being 
the  only  clergyman  in  Macao  except  Mr.  McBryde, 
wdio  is  not  aJ3le  to  preach.  Just  as  I  was  about  to 
go  to  the  chapel,  a  bundle  of  letters  and  papers  from 
the  "Paul  Jones,"  came  in.  I  had  a  week  ago 
received  half  a  dozen  letters,  and  supposed  there 
were  no  more;  these  had  gone  to  Canton  by  mis- 
take, and  now^  were  returned.  It  was  quite  a  temp- 
tation^ but  I  left  them  unopened  till  I  returned  from 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  169 

church,  and  then  found  one  from  brother  John,  one 
from  father,  and  one  from  yourself,  dated  Decem- 
ber 28th  and  30th.  Dear  mother,  I  cannot  express 
my  thanks  to  you  sufficiently  for  that  letter.  You 
seemed  to  fear  that  it  would  afford  me  little  gratifi- 
cation, but  it  has  been  the  most  interesting  letter  I 
have  yet  received  from  you.  I  like  "news"  very 
well,  but  I  like  kind  words  and  warm  expressions 
of  affection  a  great  deal  better,  when  I  know  that 
they  come  unstudied  from  the  heart.  I  cannot 
describe  to  you  how  much  I  value  such  a  sentence 
as  "It  is  past  nine  o'clock,  and  all  are  waiting  for 
me  for  prayers,  where  we  always  remember  '  him  in 
a  foreign  land.'  "  It  brought  the  warm  tears  to  my 
eyes,  (1  can  hardly  see  now,)  pictured  before  me — 
oh,  how  distinctly !  the  scenes  of  other  days,  when 
I  too  knelt  with  you,  and  when  my  voice  was 
heard  among  you.  I  could  see  again  the  quiet  room 
with  its  cheerful  fire,  and  the  table  with  its  well- 
remembered  cover  and  lamp,  and  the  family  Bible 
with  its  broken  binding,  and  each  famihar  face,  aye, 
and  the  accustomed  seat  in  which  each  one  sat.  I 
could  hear  the  voice  that  read;  I  almost  fancied  I 
could  join  in  the  familiar  tune  that  was  sung — 
and  so  I  can,  though  separated  from  you  by  half 
the  circumference  of  the  world.  The  praises  we 
sing,  though  sung  on  opposite  sides  of  the  globe, 
ascend  to  the  same  gracious  Grod,  and  the  prayers 
we  offer  reach  the  same  mercy-seat,  and  the  same 
grace  that  sustams  you  is  sufficient,  more  than 
sufficient,  for  me.  Tell  Mrs.  C,  if  you  see  her,  that 
it  has  greatly  cheered  me  to  hear  that  her  prayers 
have  been  offered  for  me,  for  I  have  learned  to 

Elace  a  high  value  on  the  prayers  of  others, 
owever  unknown  they  may  be  to  the  world. 
How  do  we  know  but  that  in  the  world  to  come,  we 
shall  find  much  of  our  usefulness  attributable  to  the 
prayers  of  those  who  remembered  us,  when  we  knew 
not  that  they  ever  thought  of  us  ? 

"Little  Sam  is  gone,  and  you  are  gone,  and  soon 
15 


170  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

it  will  be  said,  they  are  all  gone ;"  and  if  soon^  why 
regret  that  one  has  finished  his  journey  a  few  hours 
sooner  than  the  rest,  and  another  gone  by  a 
different  route  ?  Are  Ave  not  strangers  here,  and  do 
not  strangers  sojourn  but  a  short  time  in  the  land 
of  their  pilgrhnage,  and  are  not  pleasant  companions 
often  obliged  in  their  voyages  to  pursue  different 
roads?  When  the  journey  is  over,  we  will  recount 
our  toils,  and  how  w^e  have  been  led  by  ways  we 
knew  not.  Oh,  how  true  is  that !  I  have  been  led 
like  a  blind  man,  by  a  way  I  knew  not,  but  already, 
if  I  am  not  mistaken,  I  see  it  was  the  best  w^ay. 

My  journal  has  afforded  you  pleasure,  more  than 
I  thought  it  would ;  but  in  heaven  we  shall  need  no 
journals,  and  shall  then  rightly  estimate  the  impor- 
tance of  every  step  we  took.  We  shall  then  see 
through  what  dangers  we  have  passed,  when  we 
least  suspected  they  were  so  near;  we  shall  see 
how  an  angel  was  sent  in  this  place  to  sustain  us, 
and  in  that  an  evil  spirit  was  driven  away.  We 
shall  see  how  influences  that  we  did  not  dream  of 
were  directing  our  course,  and  as  w^e  contemplate 
the  wonderful  network  of  our  history,  we  shall  more 
and  more  admire  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  Him 
by  w^hom  our  bodies  Avere  so  "  curiously  wrought," 
and  our  actions  so  carefully  ordered.  We  shaU  be 
at  home  then,  and  shall  "go  no  more  out." 

How  pleasant  is  the  Sabbath !  It  comes  to  me 
in  this  heathen  land,  to  tell  me  that  even  here  God 
is  gracious;  but  there,  w^here  one  unending  Sabbath 
prevails,  there  shall  be  no  painful  sights  of  unhal- 
lowed desecration,  no  strivings  with  inbred  sin,  no 
weariness ;  we  shall  go  no  more  out,  nor  wish  to  go, 
for  there  is  fulness  of  joy  in  the  presence  of  God, 
and  at  his  right  hand  are  pleasures  for  evermore.  I 
sometimes  feel  as  if  I  did  not  want  to  live  any 
longer;  surely  "I  would  not  hve  always;"  but 
when  I  look  round  and  see  these  poor  heathen,  I 
think  that  perhaps  I  may  do  something.  I  am 
willing  to  sta}'^;  and  when  1  thiaik  of  Him  who  hath 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  171 

done  so  miicli  for  me,  I  am  dumb.     Here  am  I, 
Lord;  do  with  me  as  thou  wilt. 
But  I  must  close  for  the  present. 

Affectionately  yours^ 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Macao,  May  17th,  1843. 

Mr.  John  Lloyd — My  Dear  John: — Your  long, 
long  expected  letter  reached  me  eight  or  nine  days 
ago.  I  was  very  glad  indeed  to  hear  from  you,  for 
I  had  not  expected  to  be  sixteen  months  without  a 
letter  from  my  old  crony.  But  no  matter,  I'll  pay 
you  for  it  when  you  come  out  here.  I  shall  expect 
to  see  you  in  China  before  the  end  of  next  year, 
without  fail.  The  various  items  of  your  letter  were 
very  satisfactory  to  me,  as  they  recalled  many  old 
associations.  1  proceed  to  answer  some  inquiries 
you  have  made.  ...  As  to  the  Chinese  chmate,  I 
have  not  as  yet  sufficient  experience  to  speak  fully 
about  it.  I  have  been  nearly  a  year  here,  and 
during  that  time  have  not  had  one  day's  sickness, 
and  have  taken  only  one  dose  of  medicine.  I  think 
it  probable,  however,  that  new  comers  will  be  liable 
to  fever  and  ague  in  most  of  the  new  ports,  until  they 
become  acclimated.  The  heat  of  summer  is  great; 
the  thermometer  now  ranges  above  80° ;  but  it  is 
not  as  bad  as  that  of  India,  and  we  have  cool  and 
bracing  winters.  There  is  not  commonly  any  frost 
or  snow  in  this  latitude,  or  at  Amoy,  but  ice  and 
snow  are  both  found  at  Chusan,  Ningpo,  and  Shang- 
hae,  where  I  think  we  shall  have  our  principal 
stations. 

As  to  the  language,  I  suppose  it  pretty  certain 
that  the  Chinese  is  the  hardest  language  in  the 
world,  except  the  Japanese;  which  is  harder, 
because  one  must  learn  Chinese  in  order  to  learn 
Japanese.     But  then  a  good  many  considerations 


172  MEMOIR   OF    WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

remove  the  terror  that  some  of  the  Singapore 
missionaries  were  so  anxious  to  excite  on  this  sub- 
ject. 1.  The  language  has  been  learned,  and 
spoken  fluently  and  intelligibty,  though  not  of 
course  perfectly,  by  a  number  of  persons  within  the 
last  forty  years ;  and  I  have  yet  to  learn  that  any 
one  of  those  persons  possessed  any  remarkable 
talent  for  learning  languages.  My  impression  is, 
that  not  one  of  them  possessed  such  a  talent  to  any 
great  degree.  2.  The  facilities  for  learning  the  lan- 
guage, in  the  way  of  elementary  books  and  free 
access  to  the  people,  are  vastly  better  than  they 
were  twenty  years  ago;  and  every  year  they  are 
getting  better.  3.  The  dialects  spoken  in  the  north, 
are  said  to  be  easier,  decidedly,  than  those  spoken 
m  Canton  and  Fokeen  provinces;  and  it  has  been 
with  the  dialects  of  the  two  latter,  that  foreigners 
have  been  most  conversant.  Several  of  those  who 
have  learned  Chinese,  were  over  thirty  years  of  age 
before  they  commenced  it;  two,  I  believe,  w^ere  over 
forty;  yet  they  are  making  progress.  I  have  not 
made  any  ^^considerable  attainments"  yet.  Owing 
to  my  various  wanderings,  of  which  you  have  heard 
somewhat,  it  w^as  six  months  after  I  got  here, 
before  I  began  to  study  regularly.  I  have  now 
been  studying  regularly  for  about  six  months.  ^  I 
can  read  easy  sentences ;  can  talk  a  very  little  with 
my  teacher;  and  I  look  forward  with  hope  to  the 
futm^e.  Yesterday  I  told  my  teacher  that  the  Chi- 
nese was  a  hard  language  to  learn,  and  I  feared  it 
would  take  me  four  or  five  years  to  talk  it  well. 
He  said,  no,  it  was  not  hard ;  and  that  in  one  year 
I  should  be  able  to  converse  satisfactorily.  I  told 
him  he  was  flattering  me;  but  he  said,  "No,  I  am 
a  very  old  man,  why  should  I  flatter  you  ?"  So  I 
said  no  more.  I  only  beheve  the  half  of  what  he 
says ;  but  even  that  is  better  than  I  expected.  At 
first  the  study  was  prodigiouslfj  dry — worse  than 
anything  I  ever  undertook ;  but  now  I  begin  to  feel 
a  good  deal  of  interest  in  it.      Come  out  and  study 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTER  M.   LOWRIE.  173 

with  me,  and  I  can  give  yon  a  good  deal  of  assist- 
ance. I  am  obliged  to  study  with  almost  no  assist- 
ance from  others,  as  the  Pekin  dialect,  to  which 
my  attention  is  now  du^ected,  is  not  attended  to  by 
any  of  the  missionaries  whom  I  have  access  to. 
With  your  talents,  I  know  you  need  not  be  afraid 
to  commence  the  language.  Tell  Hugh  Brown  I 
expect  htm  to  come  here  also;  and  I  wish  you 
Avould  turn  the  attention  of  Dr.  Culbertson  to  this 
field.  A  person,  however,  who  does  not  make 
pretty  reasonable  progress  in  Latin,  Greek,  and 
Hebrew,  had  better  not  come  to  China  for  the  pre- 
sent. The  case  may  be  different  a  few  years  hence, 
when  a  greater  variety  of  missionar}^  labour  can  be 
employed  than  is  at  present  practicable. 

1  am  serious  when  I  say  that  I  wish  3"ou  and 
Brown  and  Culbertson  to  regard  this  letter  as  a 
dh^ect  call  to  each  of  you  to  take  China  into  careful 
consideration  before  you  conclude  to  go  elsewhere; 
and  I  trust  you  will  be  well  satisfied  that  it  is  your 
duty  to  do  so,  if  you  decline  coming  here.  I  would 
not  speak  so  decidedly  if  I  did  not  think  I  had 
grounds  for  my  opinion;  but  knowing  you  three, 
and  this  field  as  well  as  I  do,  I  think  it  has  very 
strong  claims  upon  you. 

I  recommend  you  to  learn  the  radicals  immediately, 
so  as  to  be  able  to  write  the  whole  of  them  off,  and 
give  the  name  and  meaning  of  each,  without  once 
looking  on  the  book.  You  will  find  it  of  incalcu- 
lable advantage.  I  speak  from  experience.  I  also 
advise  that  by  all  means  you  learn  to  speak  in  the 
way  that recommends,  i.  e.,  by  using  the  abdo- 
minal and  intercostal  muscles.  I  am  convinced  that 
if  you  do  so,  it  will  facilitate  your  progress  in  the 
most  difficult  part  of  the  spoken  language,  the  tones. 
The  reason  why  we  find  it  so  hard  to  use  the  Chi- 
nese tones  easily,  is  because  of  our  habit  of  using 
the  lungs  instead  of  the  abdominal  and  intercostal 
*  muscles.  I  wish  I  had  known  this  in  America. 
The  time  you  spend  in  learning  this  will  be  by  no 

15* 


174  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

means  lost,  while,  if  jou  neglect  it,  I  fear  you  will 
always  regret  it. 

But  it  is  past  ten  o'clock,  and  I  must  close  for 
the  night.  Would  that  I  could  see  you.  Pray  for 
me ;  but  I  know  you  do  so,  and  I  thank  you  for  it. 
It  does  not  surprise  me  to  hear  that  I  have  fallen 
into  the  general  mass,  and  only  come  in  under  the 
general  prayer  of  ''Lord,  bless  the  missionary."  It 
was  to  be  expected.  But  there  are  a  few  who,  I 
trust,  will  not  so  soon  forget  me.  The  Lord  ever 
be  with  you,  and  keep  you,  is  the  prayer  of  your 
friend  and  brother  in  Christ, 

W.    M.    LOWRIE. 


Macao,  July  20th,  1843. 

My  Dear  Father —  ....  I  find  myself  obliged 
to  confess  that  the  warm  w^eather  has  its  effects 
upon  me.  For  a  month  after  it  commenced  I  felt 
as  strong  and  as  much  disposed  to  study  as  ever; 
but,  for  the  last  two  weeks,  I  do  not  feel  able  to  sit 
at  my  books  nearly  so  constantly  as  before,  nor  to 
take  such  long  walks  as  usual.  I  have  lost  a  good 
deal  of  my  appetite,  and  they  all  tell  me  I  look  pale, 
and  thinner  than  usual.  Such  is  the  worst  side  of  the 
picture ;  on  the  other  hand,  I  am  not  sick,  not  low 
spirited,  suffer  no  manner  of  pain,  can  read  and 
write,  and  laugh  and  talk  as  usual,  and  do  anything 
that  does  not  require  long  and  close  mental  effort. 
I  sleep  soundly,  and  the  time  passes  away  rapidly. 
I  don't  expect  to  do  much  studying  for  a  couple  of 
months  to  come.  I  had  hoped  to  be  on  my  way  to 
visit  Amoy  and  Chusan  ere  this,  but  have  not  3^et 
found  a  suitable  vessel,  nor  do  I  know  of  any.  If 
one  does  not  offer  soon,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  post- 
pone it  till  some  time  in  September  or  October.  .  .  . 

Your  journal  of  a  day  interested  me  very  much. 
I  would  give  you  some  tiling  of  the  kind  m  return. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  175 

but  am  really  so  ashamed  of  each  day's  work  for 
the  present  week,  that  I  would  rather  not.  I  man- 
age to  keep  up  what  little  I  know  of  Chinese,  and 
to  add  a  little  to  my  stock ;  to  read  some ;  and  write 
some;  to  take  a  walk  every  day;  and  to  preach 
once  a  week  to  the  English  and  American  residents. 
As  I  have  not  yet  brought  my&elf  to  read  other 
men's  sermons,  i  have  commonly  to  prepare  one 
every  week.  This  takes  a  good  deal  of  time  and 
thought,  and  I  sometimes  feel  as  if  I  ought  not  to 
do  it,  as  the  strength  thus  employed  could  be  used 
in  fitting  myself  for  my  missionary  life.  Yet  as 
there  are  some  who  seem  to  feel  an  interest  in  attend- 
ing, and  as  I  am  the  only  minister  here,  it  does 
not  seem  right  to  neglect  them  altogether.  I  should 
like  to  be  among  the  Chinese. 

Your  suggestions  about  a  Chinese  dictionary  are 
important,  but  I  hardly  know  what  to  say  in  regard 
to  them;  it  will  be  time  enough  for  me  to  think  of 
such  a  thing,  Avhen  I  can  call  myself  a  Chinese 
scholar.  I  make  no  pretensions  to  that  name  now, 
nor  can  I  even  guess  when  I  shall  deserve  it;  and 
if  I  ever  do  deserve  it,  I  may  prefer  some  other 
kind  of  labour,  besides  dry  dictionary-making.  Still, 
I  consider  it  a  duty  to  keep  something  of  the  kind 
in  view.  You  of  course  will  not  mention  that  I  do 
so,  as  I  do  not  wish  it  to  be  known.  The  thought 
that  I  may  perhaps  be  of  some  assistance  in  tliat 
way,  is  one  thing  Avhich,  with  others,  induces  me  to 
study  the  Mandarin,  and  to  prefer  one  of  the  north- 
ern ports. 

I  cannot  tell  you,  my  dear  father,  how  much  I 
value  your  letters.  The  spirit  of  kindness  and  affec- 
tion they  breathe,  is  to  me  most  truly  refreshing 
and  delightful,  and  I  sometimes  almost  feel  as  if  it 
was  worth  while  to  be  separated  from  you  in  order 
to  enjoy  them.  But  I  do  not  altogether  give  up  the 
hope  of  seeing  you  again,  though  I  have  little  ex- 
pectation of  seeing  you  in  the  United  States.  When 
1  get  into  my  own  house  at  Ningpo^  or  some  other 


176  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

regular  Chinese  place,  I  mean  to  send  you  and 
mother  a  special  invitation  to  come  and  see  me.  I 
rather  think,  too,  that  you  will  find  it  hard  to  refuse 
my  invitation.  With  many  aiFectionate  thoughts  of 
you,  and  of  all  the  members  of  our  beloved  family, 
I  remain  as  ever, 

Your  affectionate  son, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


JOURNAL   TO   AMOY   AND   CHUSAN. 

August  31st.  Got  under  way  from  Hon^  Kong 
about  nine  o'clock,  a.  m.,  but  having  hght  and 
unfavourable  winds  made  very  slow  progress. 
Obliged  to  come  to  anchor  at  night  opposite  Chek 
Chu,  on  the  southern  side  of  the  island. 

During  the  voyage  from  Hong  Kong  to  Amoy 
we  passed  in  sight  of  three  of  the  great  opium  de- 
pots along  the  coast.  These  three  were  Tong-san, 
How-tow-san,  and  Namoa.  At  these  three  places, 
the  opium  dealers  in  Canton  and  Macao,  have  ships 
constantly  stationed  to  keep  supplies  of  opium,  and 
to  them  the  smaller  vessels,  or  ''  opium  clippers,"  as 
they  are  called,  resort  for  cargoes,  which  they  carry 
to  different  parts  of  the  coast  and  dispose  of  alwa3^s 
for  silver.  The  number  of  vessels  emplo3^ed  in  this 
traffic  is  very  great.  A  single  mercantile  house 
in  Canton  and  Macao,  employs  about  fifty  vessels, 
ships,  barks,  brigs,  and  schooners,  while  another 
house  has   thirty  or  more.*     These  vessels  carry 

*  The  amount  of  capital  embarked  in  the  opium  trade  is  enormous, 
as  may  be  judged  of  from  the  number  of  vessels  employed.  The 
smallest  of  these  vessels  probably  costs  the  owners  upwards  of  $5,000 

annuall3^     A  schooner  like  the or costs  from  800  to  1200 

dollars  a  month  merely  for  her  sailing,  i.  e.  wages,  wear  and  tear;  so 
that  the  annual  expense  of  one  of  the  least  of  these  messengers  of  evil, 
is  greater  than  the  whole  expenses  of  oui'  mission  in  any  year  since  its 
commencement ;  while  the  brigs,  barks,  and  ships  cost  still  more.     This 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  177 

almost  nothing  but  opium,  and  receive  almost 
nothing  in  return  but  silver.  The  laws  of  the  Chi- 
nese against  the  introduction  of  opium  are  very 
severe,  but  at  present  they  are  a  mere  dead  letter; 
the  opium  smugglers  laugh  at  them,  and  carry 
their  vile  drug  recklessly  to  all  parts  of  the  coast, 
where  it  is  purchased  b,y  the  Chinese,  and  carried 
into  different  parts  of  the  country.  The  Chinese 
officers  themselves,  instead  of  striving  to  prevent 
its  introduction,  connive  at  it,  being  frequently 
bribed  for  that  purpose  by  the  smugglers.  One  of 
the  very  greatest  difficulties  in  the  way  of  Christian 
missions  in  China,  arises  from  the  prevalence  of  the 
use  of  opium ;  and  it  is  to  be  feared  that  it  will  long 
continue  in  the  way.  When  a  man  acquires  a 
taste  for  opium,  there  is  nothing  he  will  not  do 
to  gratify  it;  and  its  use  is  most  deleterious.  It 
injures  his  bodily  health,  it  stupefies  his  mental 
powers,  and  it  deadens  his  moral  feehngs,  and  when 
the  habit  of  using  it  is  once  confirmed,  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  abandon  it.  The  fondness  for  opium 
is  one  of  the  sti'ong  chains  in  which  Satan  has 
bound  this  great  people,  and  it  is  a  heart-sickening 
reflection,  that  this  evil  luxury  is  supplied  to  them 
by  the  merchants  of  the  two  nations  which  profess 
to  be  actuated  by  the  purest  Christianity.  It  is 
almost  impossible  to  find  a  vessel  going  up  the 
coast  which  does  not  carry  it. 

September  5th.  Reached  Amoy,  and  was  re- 
ceived with  a  hearty  w^elcome  by  the  Hev.  Mr. 
Abeel  and  Dr.  Cumming.  They  w^ere  the  only 
missionaries  then  residing  at  Amoy,  or  rather  at 
Kulan^su,  which  is  a  beautiful  little  island  not 
more  than  one-fourth  of  a  mile  from  Amoy. 

In  the  evening  after  reaching  Kulangsu,  Dr. 
Cumming  and  myself  went  over  to  Amoy,  to  see 
the   place.     We  crossed  from  Kulangsu  to  Amoy 

is  merely  for  wages  of  the  men  and  officers,  and  the  wear  and  tear  of 
the  vessel,  and  is  exclusive  of  all  the  money  expended  in  purchasing  the 
opium,  storing  it,  and  packing  and  repacking. 


178  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

for  ten  cash  a-piece,  (it  takes  eleven  or  twelve 
cash  to  make  a  cent.) 

"Multitudes,  multitudes,"  was  the  impression 
that  forced  itself  upon  me  in  walking  through  the 
crowded  streets,  and  looking  out  over  the  close- 
built  environs  of  this  great  city.  The  suburbs  are 
much  larger  than  the  city  itself,  and  most  of  the 
merchants'  shops  are  there.  Each  street,  both 
within  the  city  and  in  the  suburbs,  is  closed  at  each 
end  by  gates  every  night;  all  are  narrow,  and  all 
are  dirty.  It  is  hardly  possible  for  foreigners  to 
live  in  the  close  filthy  quarters  generally  occupied 
by  the  Chinese.  We  can  live  in  houses  like  theirs 
with  but  little  difficulty,  but  their  position  is  gene- 
rally low  and  damp,  and  their  being  so  dirty  and  so 
closely  crowded  together,  combines  to  render  them 
unhealthy. 

Nine  opium  ships  were  anchored  close  alongside 
of  Amoy,  and  also  tivo  vessels  that  had  no  opium 
on  board.  I  was  told,  on  good  authority,  that 
ever}^  man  in  Amoy  wdio  could  afford  to  buy  opium 
was  in  the  habit  of  smoking  it.  The  Chinese  offi- 
cers make  no  effort  whatever  to  prevent  its  intro- 
duction, and  I  saw  opium  pipes  openly  exposed  for 
sale  in  the  streets.  A  few  years  ago  it  would  have 
been  almost  as  much  as  a  Chinaman's  life  was 
worth,  to  have  been  detected  in  the  sale  of  any- 
thing used  in  consuming  the  prohibited  article. 

Infanticide  is  very  common  in  this  province;  very 
many  inquiries  have  been  made  by  the  missionaries, 
and  all  the  testimony  goes  to  prove  that  it  prevails 
to  a  fearful  extent.  It  is  not  saying  too  much  to 
affirm,  that  in  the  districts  around  Amoy,  one-fifth, 
or  one-sixth  of  the  children  perish  by  the  hands,  or 
with  the  consent  of  their  parents.  One  poor  man 
said  to  Mr.  Abeel  with  an  air  of  the  gi^eatest  sim- 
plicit}^  and  sincerity,  "  Teacher,  before  you  came,  I 
killed  five  of  my  children ;  I  would  not  do  it  now, 
for  you  have  showed  me  that  it  is  wrong,  but  before 
you  came  I  did  not  knoAV  that — who  was  there  to 


]VIEMOIR   OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE.  179 

tell  me  ?"  Alas !  who  was  there  to  tell  him?  The 
opium  smugglers  are  dealing  their  poison  all  around, 
but  very  rarely  does  a  missionary  appear  amongst 
them,  and  those  who  do  come,  have  difficulties "^to 
contend  with  as  they  sit  upon  the  damp  tiled  floors 
of  the  native  houses,  and  breathe  the  unwholesome 
air  of  the  swampy  fields,  such  as  rarely  enter  into 
the  minds  of  those  who  dwell  in  their  ceiled  houses, 
and  talk  in  their  own  native  language. 

I  visited  the  grave  of  Mrs.  Boone.  It  is  in  a 
beautiful  quiet  garden,  a  little  tree  stands  at  the 
foot,  and  an  immense  banian  spreads  its  shade  over 
the  whole.  She  died  August  30,  1842.  It  was 
a  time  of  sadness  and  sorrow  when  that  first  mem- 
ber of  the  missionary  band  here  fell;  but  1  could 
not  regard  her  lonely  grave  in  any  other  light  than 
as  a  pledge  that  the  kingdom  shall  yet  be  the  Lord's. 
For  not  alone  shall  that  Christian  wife  and  mother 
sleep  here;  others  of  the  missionary  circle  shall 
also  toil,  and  lie  down  here,  and  around  them  shall 
sleep  those  saved  by  their  means,  and  sooner  or 
later  we  shall  look  upon  graves,  even  in  this  heathen 
land,  with  the  same  feehn2:s  of  calm  and  joyful 
hope  with  which  we  behold  them  in  Christian  lands. 
May  the  Lord  hasten  that  time !  for  it  is  a  sorrowful 
thought  as  we  look  upon  the  countless  graves  that 
throng  every  hill-side  around  us,  "Not  one  of  all 
these  myriads  ever  heard  the  name  of  Christ — 
where  now  are  their  souls  ?"  It  was  a  pleasant  thing 
in  my  native  land  to  go  to  the  grave-yard  on  Satur- 
day evenings,  or  the  Sabbath  morning,  and  sit 
upon  the  tombs,  and  think  of  heaven;  but  1  cannot 
do  that  in  China. 

We  left  Amoy  on  Thursday,  September  7.  I 
could  scarcely  take  my  eyes  aAvay  from  the  first  of 
the  gently  rising  hills  that  was  seen.  It  was  so 
different  from  all  that  I  had  witnessed  for  nearly 
twenty  months,  and  reminded  me  so  strongly  of 
objects  seen  in  my  own  native  land,  that  it  required 
but  little  stretch  of  fancy  to  cover  the  scene  with 


180  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

the  peaceful  homes,  and  smihng  villages,  and  solemn 
churches  of  America.  But,  alas,  how  different  the 
reality !  Multitudes,  multitudes  of  immortal  beings, 
but  all  ignorant  of  the  truth  !  An  opium  clipper 
followed  "us  out  of  Amoy,  and  being  a  faster  sailer 
than  we,  soon  passed  us  on  her  way  to  Chimmoo 
Bay,  another  great  opium  depot.  It  reminded  me 
sadly  of  the  truth  that  the  men  of  this  world  are 
wiser  in  their  generation  than  the  children  of  light. 
But  I  found  consolation  where  I  had  not  looked  for 
it.  We  were  sailing  on  the  wide  sea.  The  Tvhole 
expanse  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  with  its  unfathomed 
depths  and  uncounted  waves,  was  rolling  on  our 
right,  and  its  waters  washed  the  shores  of  the  most 
populous  empire  on  the  earth.  Behold!  '^The  earth 
shall  be  filled  vvdth  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  as  theivcders  cover  the  seas,''  Hab.  ii.  14.  "What 
though  men,  for  the  sake  of  gain,  follow  practices 
that  injure  their  fellow-men,  and  impede  the  progress 
of  the  Gospel,  it  shall  not  always  be  so;  for  thus 
saith  the  Lord,  "  They  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy 
in  all  my  holy  mountain;  for  the  earth  shall  be  full 
of  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover 
the  sea,"  Isaiah  ix.  11.  With  such  an  assurance 
from  such  a  source,  what  more  do  we  want  to  con- 
firm our  faith  and  encourage  our  hope  ? 

Friday,  September  15.  When  within  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles  of  Chusan  the  monsoon 
changed,  and  after  beating  about  for  several  daj^s, 
and  making  no  progress,  we  anchored  at  the  Island 
of  San-pan-shan,  in  order  to  replenish  our  water- 
casks,  and  wait,  if  perhaps  the  weather  might  become 
more  moderate.  The  island  of  San-pan-shan  is  in 
north  lat.  28  deg.  5  min.,  and  east  long.  122  deg. 

Just  above  our  landing  place,  and  near  the  prin- 
cipal collection  of  huts,  was  an  idol  temple,  dedi- 
cated to  Ma-tsoo-po,  a  favourite  Chinese  goddess. 
There  was  nothing  remarkable  about  it,  except  its 
filthiness,  and  two  figures  about  two-tlmds  the  size 
of  men;  standing  on  a  block  of  wood  near  the  door. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  181 

They  were  painted  black,  with  red  and  glaring  eyes, 
and  horribly-distorted  mouths,  all  begrimed  with 
smoke  of  incense-sticks,  and  dirt;  they  were  fit 
representations  of  the  horrid  character  of  him  whom 
this  deluded  people  worship.  There  were  several 
brazen  incense-stands  on  the  altar,  one  of  which  I 
wished  to  take  away,  but  the  people  w^ould  not 
allow  of  it.  "No,  it  was  Ma-tsoo-po's."  I  would 
give  a  good  deal  to  be  able  to  transport  the  two 
black  images  as  they  are,  to  the  Mission  House  in 
New  York. 

Wednesday,  September  27th.  Finding  that  our 
vessel  was  in  no  condition  to  beat  against  the  mon- 
soon, and  that  our  prospect  of  reaching  Chusan  in 
her  was  very  poor,  we  reluctantly  turned  about, 
and  arrived  at  Amoy  yesterday.  It  is  a  mysterious 
dispensation  of  providence,  but  doubtless  He  who 
holds  the  winds  in  his  fist  has  wise  ends  in  view, 
in  disappointing  my  hopes :  "What  I  do  thou  know- 
est  not  now,  but  thou  shalt  know  hereafter." 

Took  a  boat  and  went  to  see  a  Budhist  temple 
about  two  or  three  miles  south-east  of  Amoy.  It 
stands  at  the  foot  of  the  high  ridge  of  hills  running 
from  the  city  of  Amoy  into  the  interior  of  Amoy 
island,  and  is  about  half  a  mile  from  the  shores  of 
the  bay.  In  front  of  the  temple  is  an  enclosure 
containing  four  open  buildings,  in  each  of  which  are 
two  gigantic  stone  tortoises  six  feet  long  and  four 
feet  broad.  Each  tortoise  supports  a  white  stone 
tablet,  ten  feet  high  and  four  feet  broad,  and 
covered  one  with  Chinese  and  the  other  with  Tar- 
tar inscriptions;  the  Chinese  characters  are  cer- 
tainly very  well  adapted  for  inscriptions,  and  I 
have  rarely  seen  any  specimens  of  cutting  in  stone 
so  beautifully  executed  as  these  are.  The  purport 
of  the  inscriptions  seemed  to  be  maxims  and  moral 
sentences :  but  as  to  their  particular  meaning,  I  for- 
bear to  interpret  it.  Du'ectly  behind  these  tablets 
was  the  entrance  of  the  temple,  with  all  its  array  of 
dingy  paintings,  grotesque  carving  and  queer  dra- 
16 


182  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

gons  above  the  door.  On  entering,  the  first  object 
seen  ^vas  a  gilt  statue  of  Budh,  of  gigantic  size, 
with  a  green  veil  over  the  window  of  ihe  inclosnre 
where  he  was  seated.  Behind  him  was  another 
gigantic  image,  and  on  either  side  were  two  other 
giants;  on  one  side  a  male  and  a  female  with  a 
guitar  in  her  hand,  and  on  the  other  side  a  female, 
and  a  black  and  horrid-looking  male  attendant. 
Each  statue  is  said  to  be  eighteen  feet  high,  and  of 
one  sohd  stone.  Here  we  were  met  by  two  of  the 
priests,  pale  in  countenance,  dressed  in  white,  and 
of  rather  pleasing  manners.  Only  one  of  them 
said  anything,  but  he  was  quite  talkative.  They 
gave  us  tea  without  sugar  or  milk,  and  promised 
to  call  at  the  mission  house  in  Amoy,  after  which 
we  left  them. 

Near  this  temple,  I  saw  what  is  rather  uncommon 
in  China,  regularly-inclosed  graveyards.  There 
were  a  great  many  uninclosed  tombs  all  around,  but 
here  were  three  graveyards;  each  of  them  had  a 
large  tomb  in  the  centre,  and  a  great  many  of  com- 
mon appearance  regularly  arranged  around,  com- 
pletely filling  up  the  inclosed  spaces.  The  bury  in  g- 
grounds  were  all  small,  but  extremely  full.  The 
largest  was  only  one  hundred  feet  square,  and  yet 
it  had  three  hundred  and  fifty  graves  in  it,  all  of 
which  seemed  to  be  of  about  the  same  a^e.  It  is 
not  known  to  foreigners,  and  not  to  any  Chinese  of 
whom  we  made  inquuies,  who  are  buried  there. 
The  inscriptions  at  the  entrance  of  each  would  per- 
haps tell,  but  it  requires  time  and  patience  to  copy 
and  translate  them.  Just  within  the  entrance  of 
each  was  a  stone  with  the  inscription /?^/^  s/iih,  kappy 
spirits !  Alas !  are  they  happy  ?  None  were  chil- 
dren's graves. 

October  1,  Sabbath.  In  the  morning  attended 
Mr.  Abeel's  Chinese  service;  about  twenty  were 
present,  which  is  a  smaller  number  than  usual. 
Among  them  was  a  Budhist  priest,  and  several  very 
respectably-dressed  gentlemen.     Most  of  them  at- 


IVIEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  183 

tended  well.  In  the  evening  preached  to  the  sol- 
diers ;  owing  to  the  sickness  prevailing  at  present, 
the  congregation  was  small;  only  about  seventy 
were  present,  yet  it  was  the  largest  number  I  have 
preached  to  at  one  time  since  leaving  New  York. 

October  2,  Monday.  Monthly  Concert  to-night. 
I  conducted  the  services  and  made  the  first  prayer, 
then  read  Psalm  Ixviii.,  and  made  some  remarks  ou 
the  frequency  with  which  the  promises  of  the  con- 
version of  the  world  are  followed  by  glorious  ascrip- 
tions of  praise  to  God,  as  shoAvn : — Ps.  Ixviii.  31, 
32,  Is.  xliv.  23,  and  xlix.  12,  13.  Mr.  Roberts 
then  prayed,  and  made  some  remarks  on  the  neces- 
sity of  faith  in  Christ,  and  of  entire  dependence  on 
his  grace,  rather  than  trusting  in  feelings  and  frames 
of  mind.  We  sang  a  hymn,  and  Mr.  Abeel  prayed. 
It  was  a  pleasant  time. 


JOURNAL   TO    CIIANG-CHOW. 

October  3.  Mr.  Abeel  and  I  have  been  tallying 
for  some  days  of  making  an  excursion  into  the  in- 
terior, some  thirty  or  forty  miles,  and  to-day  we 
went  off  to  engage  a  boat.  There  are  so  man}^ 
rivers  and  streams  along  the  coast  of  China,  and  the 
Chinese  so  commonly  live  near  the  water,  that  al- 
most all  travelling  is  in  boats.  Hence  the  expres- 
sion, Ilaou  fung  shwuy,  literally  meaning  a  fair 
wind  and  tide,  is  equivalent  to  saying,  "  Good  luck 
go  with  you,"  or  "  May  you  have  a  prosperous  time." 
After  a  deal  of  chaffering  and  bargaining,  and  being 
almost  deafened  by  the  noisy  Chinese  we  had  to 
talk  with,  (when  talking  earnestly,  the  common 
people  actually  shout  their  words,)  we  arranged 
with  an  old  man  to  be  taken  to  Chang-Chow,  a  city 
of  the  second  order,  and  said  to  be  twice  as  large 
as  Amoy,  for  three  dollars  and  a  half  One  of  our 
Chinese  friends  promises  to  accompany  us. 

On  the  4th  about  one  o'clock,  p.  m.,  we  arrived  at 
the  city.     It  was  soon  evident  that  we  were  some- 


184  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

thing  "uncommon."  Numbers  of  people  came  in 
^vith  us,  and  as  we  passed  through  the  streets  and 
were  discovered  by  those  ahead  of  us,  the  wonder 
and  the  crowd  increased.  Our  complexions  and 
dress,  our  stature,  and  my  spectacles,  at  once  drew 
the  attention  of  everybody.  The  shopkeeper  turned 
away  from  his  customer,  the  carpenter  dropped  his 
plane,  and  the  shoemaker  his  last,  the  tailor  his 
needle,  and  the  apothecary  his  pill-box,  and  even 
the  beggar  forgot  his  vocation;  the  women  peeped 
out  from  the  doors,  and  the  children  ran  on  before 
and  stopped  to  have  a  good  look  at  us ;  old  and 
3^oung,  high  and  low,  were  filled  with  one  common 
feeling  of  surprise,  and  gazed  at  us  as  if  we  had 
fallen  from  the  clouds. 

Thursday,  Oct.  5.  The  morning  being  bright  and 
pleasant,  we  started  for  a  walk  before  breakfast, 
and  the  lower  bridge  being  hard-by  the  place  where 
our  boat  was  anchored,  we  went  there  first.  It  is 
built  on  twenty-five  piles  of  stone  about  thirty  feet 
apart,  and  perhaps  twenty  feet  in  height,  above  the 
surface  of  the  water.  Large  round  beams  are  laid 
from  pile  to  pile,  and  smaller  ones  across  in  the 
simplest  and  rudest  manner :  these  are  then  covered 
with  earth,  and  the  upper  part  is  paved  with  bricks 
or  stone.  One  would  suppose  that  the  work  had 
been  assigned  to  a  number  of  different  persons,  and 
that  each  had  executed  his  part  in  such  manner  as 
best  suited  his  own  fancy,  there  being  no  regularity 
in  the  paving;  bricks  and  stone  were  intermingled 
in  the  most  confused  manner,  and  the  railing  was 
sometimes  of  wood,  and  sometimes  of  stone.  The 
length  of  some  of  the  stones  used  in  paving  the 
bridge  was  very  remarkable;  some  of  them  were 
eight,  others  eleven,  others  fourteen,  and  three  of 
them  eighteen  paces  each,  in  length,  so  that  these 
last  must  have  been  about  forty-five  feet  long,  and 
two  or  three  broad.  They  were  of  unhewn  granite, 
but  from  the  constant  crowd  of  passengers  for  a 
hundred  years  or  more,  were  worn  quite  smooth. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  185 

The  bridge  averages  eight  or  ten  feet  in  width,  and 
about  one-half  its  length  on  either  side  was  occupied 
by  shops  in  which  various  articles,  principall}^  eat- 
ables, were  exposed  for  sale.  I  may  remark  here 
that  the  short  account  of  this  city  contained  in  the 
work  of  Abbe  Grosier,  on  China,  wdiich  is  compiled 
from  the  memoirs  of  the  Jesuit  missionaries,  con- 
tains several  mistakes.  The  work  referred  to 
speaks  of  but  one  bridge,  whereas,  there  are  two ; 
it  gives  that  one  bridge  thirty-six  arches,  whereas, 
there  are  but  twenty-five,  and  they  are  not,  in  any 
sense  of  the  w^ord,  arches,  being  simply  timbers  laid 
from  pier  to  pier.  It  also  speaks  of  the  "  two  ranges 
of  shops  furnished  with  the  most  precious  things  of 
Clnna,  and  the  rarest  merchandises  of  foreign  lands." 
If  this  account  were  true  in  the  days  when  the 
Jesuits  went  through  the  land  with  the  utmost 
freedom,  it  is  not  so  now,  for  the  articles  Ave  saw  in 
these  shops  were  of  the  commonest  and  coarsest 
kind.  It  also  says,  that  since  "  the  tides  reach 
regularly  to  Chang-Chow,  this  place  has  become  the 
resort  of  a  multitude  of  vessels,  b}^  means  of  which 
a  commerce  is  held  with  Amoy,  Pow-hou,  and  For- 
mosa, and  from  hence  depart  all  the  Chinese  who 
go  to  traffic  at  the  Philippine  islands;" — all  this  is 
to  be  taken  with  large  allowance.  The  tide  does 
reach  Chang-Chow,  but  even  at  high  tide,  only  the 
smallest  vessels  can  come  up  so  far — and  when  the 
tide  is  out,  a  common  whale-boat  is  in  danger  of 
grounding.  I  take  it  for  granted,  therefore,  that  no 
vessels  go  from  this  city  either  to  Formosa  or  the 
Philippine  islands;  and  certainty,  though  there  are 
a  goodly  number  of  small  boats  in  the  river,  there 
are  no  vessels  there  fitted  to  encounter  a  sea-voyage. 
From  Amoy  vessels  do  go  to  all  the  parts  mentioned 
above,  and  to  many  others,  and  the  goods  they 
bring  back  are  conveyed  in  smaller  vessels  to  the 
city  of  Chang-Chow;  but  the  statements  just  re- 
ferred to  (see  Grosier's  "La  Chine,"  vol.  1,  p.  96) 
are  not  sanctioned  by  what  we  saw.    If  the  accounts 


186  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

the  Jesuits  have  given  of  other  cities  of  the  empire, 
are  equally  defective  and  erroneous,  we  have  small 
reason  to  thank  them  for  their  contributions  to  our 
stock  of  knowledge  of  China.  The  reader  of  Abbe 
Grosier  will  not  find  one  of  the  particulars  of  the 
following  account  in  his  Avork. 

There  were  many  persons  passing  and  repassing, 
as  we  crossed  the  bridge,  and  the  various  odours 
that  filled  the  air  were  not  the  most  agreeable. 
Having  crossed  the  bridge,  and  passed  through  a 
village  at  the  end  of  it,  we  went  along  the  southern 
bank  of  the  river  to  the  second  bridge,  which  is 
about  a  mile  from  the  first,  and  similarly  constructed. 
On  coming  to  it,  our  guides  pointed  a  httle  further, 
and  told  us  there  was  a  temple  there  worth  seeing. 
We  accordingly  kept  on,  and  were  soon  well  repaid 
for  our  additional  walk,  by  a  sight  of  one  of  the 
oldest  buildings  I  have  ever  seen.  It  was  a  temple 
said  to  have  been  built  in  the  Suy  dynasty,  about 
twelve  hundred  years  ago.  The  various  gateways 
and  small  buildings  usually  found  in  front  of  Chi- 
nese temples,  were  decayed  and  in  ruins.  Two 
pools  on  either  side  of  the  main  entrance,  were 
covered  with  the  broad-leaved  water-lily.  The  main 
building,  which  is  of  wood,  is  very  high,  and  every 
pillar,  board,  stone,  and  tile,  bore  the  marks  of  ex- 
treme age.  On  going  in,  we  were  utterly  astonished. 
Seven  gigantic  images,  in  sitting  or  standing  pos- 
tures, gilded  and  painted,  but  faded  and  dusty,  and 
tarnished  with  age,  were  arranged  across  the  middle 
of  the  temple ;  while  on  either  side  was  a  row  of 
fifteen  Chinese  worthies,  either  sitting  or  standing, 
and  as  large  as  hfe.  Behind  the  seven  first  images 
were  three  others  :  the  very  smallest  of  the  ten  was 
at  least  eight  feet  in  height,  while  the  largest,  if 
they  had  been  standing,  would  have  been  fifteen  or 
eighteen.  An  immense  drum  occupied  one  corner 
of  the  room,  and  a  bell  another.  The  roof  was 
most  curiously  composed  of  carved  wood,  and 
inscriptions  in   various   styles  of  Chinese  writing 


MEMOIR   OF   W.\XTER  M.    LOWRIE.  187 

were  painted,  and  gilded,  and  carved  on  the  pillars, 
walls,  ceiling,  and  tablets  of  the  temple.  It  had 
been  repaired  in  Kang-he's  time,  though  it  was  now 
in  a  sad  state  from  age  and  neglect.  It  was  sicken- 
ing to  look  on  the  gloomy  monsters  whom  this 
people  worship  as  their  gods,  and  to  witness  the 
ingenuity  and  expense  lavished  on  these  dumb  idols, 
and  to  think  of  the  dreadful  degradation  of  the 
people  that  can  worship  such  works  of  their  own 
hands.  Yet  it  is  also  cheering  to  think  that  their 
superstitions  are  old,  and  many  of  them  seem  almost 
ready  to  vanish  aAvay.  Not  a  gi'eat  many  new 
temples  are  built,  and  those  already  existing  are 
often  in  very  poor  repair.  The  people  appear  to 
have  little  reverence  for  their  idols,  and  their  wor- 
ship consists  of  little  else  than  a  heartless  round  of 
unmeaning  ceremonies.  Oh,  for  that  time  when 
idols  shall  be  utterly  abohshed ! 

From  the  main  temple,  we  went  to  a  small  side 
building,  which  contained  a  single  idol,  standing, 
with  one  hand  folded  on  the  breast,  and  the  other 
hanging  open  by  the  side.  I  got  up  on  the  pedes- 
tal, which  was  three  feet  high,  and  reaching  with 
my  umbrella,  could  barely  touch  the  hand  that  was 
laid  across  the  breast.  The  open  hand  was  two 
feet  long,  and  the  whole  image  could  have  been 
little  less  than  twenty  feet  high.  It  was  cut  out 
of  one  solid  rock,  w^hich  formerly  occupied  this 
spot;  without  removing  it,  they  hewed  out  the 
image  and  erected  the  house  over  it. 

Breakfast  being  over,  we  entered  the  chairs  pro- 
vided for  us,  and  being  escorted  by  the  interpreter, 
and  two  or  three  of  the  officers,  proceeded  through 
the  city.  We  were  carried  through  several  streets, 
some  of  which  were  narrow  and  offensively  filthy, 
but  many  of  them  were  wide,  i.  e.  for  a  Chinese 
city,  say  eight,  ten,  and  even  twelve  feet,  and  lined 
with  pretty  good-looking  houses. 
^  We  were  carried  to  the  north-west  corner  of  the 
city,  and  presently  found  ourselves  in  an  open  space 


188  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

with  rising  ground  be3'-ond,  and  a  very  large  temple 
directly  in  front.  It  was  built  in  the  Tang  dynasty, 
from  nine  hundred  to  twelve  hundred  years  ago, 
and  bore  the  marks  of  age,  though  in  much  better 
repair  than  the  one  we  had  previously  visited.  The 
scene  presented  when  the  doors  were  thrown  open 
and  we  entered,  was  quite  unexpected.  Eight 
gigantic  figures,  even  larger  than  those  we  had  pre- 
viously seen,  were  arranged  across  the  temple. 
Some  of  them  seemed  almost  to  support  its  higJi 
roof  on  their  heads :  thirty-six  Chinese  sages  occu- 
pied either  side,  in  rows  of  eighteen  each.  The  roof 
of  the  temple  v/as  constructed  in  the  most  elabo- 
rate manner,  and  was  supported  by  several  noble 
wooden  pillars.  The  most  curious  things  we  saw, 
were  a  couple  of  large  lockers  or  cupboards,  closed 
and  locked.  They  were  about  eight  feet  square 
and  two  feet  deep,  and  their  contents  were  unknown. 
The  people  all  declared  most  seriously  that  they 
had  not  been  opened  for  years,  and  if  they  should 
be  opened,  death  would  surely  come  out  in  some 
terrible  form,  or  some  dreadful  plague  would  visit 
the  people. 

Behind  the  temple  the  ground  rose  steeply,  and 
three  of  its  summits  were  crowned  with  little  open 
towers.  We  climbed  uj)  in  the  hot  sun,  expecting 
to  o])tain  an  extended  prospect,  but  the  scene  that 
met  our  eyes  greatly  transcended  our  expectations. 
Fancy  an  amphitheatre  thirty  miles  in  length  by 
twenty  in  breadth,  hemmed  in  on  all  sides  by  steep, 
bare,  pointed  hills,  a  river  running  through  the 
plain,  an  immense  city  at  our  feet,  with  fields  of 
rice  and  sugar-cane,  noble  trees  and  numerous  vil- 
lages stretcliing  away  in  every  direction.  It  was 
grand  and  beautiful  above  every  conception  I  had 
ever  formed  of  Chinese  scenery.  The  eye  wandered 
over  that  immense  plain,  and  returned  again  and 
again  to  the  contemplation  of  particular  points,  till 
we  were  almost  wearied  by  the  sight  of  so  much 
magnificence:  and  when  we   came   to   particulars. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  189 

the  wonder  was  increased  rather  than  diminished. 
Beneath  us  lay  the  city.  We  coukl  trace  its  walls 
in  nearly  every  direction.  It  would  have  been 
nearly  square,  had  not  the  southern  wall  curved 
outwards  from  following  the  course  of  the  river. 
It  was  very  closely  built,  as  almost  all  Chinese 
cities  are,  and  had  a  vast  number  of  large  trees  in 
every  part,  within  and  around.  On  inquiring  the 
number  of  inhabitants,  our  guide  answered,  that  in 
the  last  dynasty  it  had  numbered  seven  hundred 
thousand  souls,  and  now  there  were  more.  He 
thought  there  were  a  million  of  people  within  the 
walls.  This  is  probably  a  large  estimate,  though  it 
is  the  one  commonly  given  by  the  Chinese : — yet 
allowing  only  half  their  estimate,  how  large  a  num- 
ber is  even  that !  The  villages  around  also  attracted 
our  attention,  and  I  tried  to  count  them,  but  after 
enumerating  thirty-nine  of  large  size,  distinctly  visi- 
ble, in  less  than  half  the  field  before  us,  I  gave 
over  the  attempt.  It  is  certainly  not  going  too  far 
to  say,  that  in  that  plain,  there  are  at  least  one 
hundred  villages;  some  of  them  may  be  small,  but 
many  of  them  would  number  their  hundreds  and 
even  thousands  of  inhabitants.  Oh,  wdiat  a  field 
for  missions  is  here,  if  the  country  were  but  open, 
and  the  churches  ready  to  enter  it !  How  many, 
many  souls  there  Avere  beneath  our  eyes,  all  ignorant 
of  the  true  God,  and  of  the  way  of  life !  The  pros- 
pect before  us  was  surprisingly  beautiful,  but  alas, 
for  those  wdio  dwell  amidst  those  fair  scenes,  where 

*'  Every  prospect  pleases,  and  only  man  is  vile  !" 

Oh,  how  often  does  the  thought  come  across  the 
missionary's  mind  in  China,  "multitudes,  multi- 
tudes !"  but  alas,  they  are  scattered,  as  sheep  having 
no  shepherd.  Oh,  that  Christians  could  but  see 
them,  and  have  compassion  upon  them!  Then 
would  they  pray  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  to  send 
foith  more  labourers  into  his  harvest,  for  the  harvest 
truly  is  plenteous,  but  the  labourers  are  few.     This 


190  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

coimtiy  will  3^et  be  opened.  The  doors  have  already 
begun  to  unclose,  and  no  human  power  is  able  to 
shut  them  again.  What  though  they  move  but 
slowly,  and  gi-ate  harshly  as  they  turn  on  their 
rusty  hinges,  they  move  none  the  less  surely  for  all 
that;  and  the  field  that  is  opened  to  us,  by  the  first 
unclosing,  is  so  vast  that  our  numbers  are  quite 
insufficient  to  occupy  it.  What  then  will  be  the 
case  when  the  whole  country  is  thrown  open? 
When  we  have  properly  occupied  the  five  ports  now 
open,  and  are  ready  to  extend  our  efforts  be3^ond, 
it  will  be  time  enough  to  wish  for  a  larger  field. 
Doubtless  God  will  give  us  a  larger  field  before  we 
are  ready  to  enter  on  it. 

After  dinner  we  went  up  in  a  boat  some  distance 
above  the  city,  and  walked  among  the  rice-grounds 
and  sugar-canes.  How  much  the  latter  reminded 
me  of  the  luxuriant  corn-fields  of  Maryland !  We 
saw  several  men  watering  the  rice-grounds  by  means 
of  the  chain  pump,  which  is  worked  by  the  foot, 
and  is  described  m  Davis's  China,  ch.  19.  This 
ma}^  be  the  same  contrivance  that  was  used  in 
Egypt,  and  is  referred  to  in  the  Scriptures:  ''thou 
sowedst  thy  seed,  and  wateredst  it  with  thy  foot 
as  a  garden  of  herbs;"  Deut.  xi.  10.  The  people 
gathered  around  us,  and  Mr.  A.  addressed  them  in 
two  different  places.  Some  of  them  attended  care- 
fully, but  most  of  them  seemed  more  disposed  to 
examine  our  dress  than  to  listen  to  religious  dis- 
course. 

Friday,  October  6.  Arrived  at  Cho-bey  before 
daylight,  and  soon  after  sunrise  went  ashore  to  see 
the  place.  It  is  a  walled  town,  but  the  part  within 
tlie  walls  is  b}^  no  means  so  extensive  as  that 
without.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  crowds  followed  us, 
noisier  too,  and  ruder  than  those  of  Chang-Chow, 
though  they  offered  us  no  manner  of  insult,  and 
most  readily  allowed  us  to  pass  wherever  we  chose. 
We  found  it  quite  a  large  and  populous  place, 
stretchmg  at  least  a  mile  along  the  shore,  and  I 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  191 

know  not  how  far  back  from  the  river.  It  is  a 
busy,  bustling  place  of  trade;  the  shops  were 
crowded  with  goods,  commonly  of  a  very  coarse 
quality,  and  the  streets  thronged  with  people.  For 
dirt  and  filth,  it  excels  every  other  place  I  have 
seen,  and  some  of  the  streets  were  actually  sicken- 
ing. Several  persons  who  had  been  to  Amoy, 
recognized  Mr.  A.,  and  one  of  them,  who  had  been 
a  patient  of  Dr.  Cumming's  at  Ku-lang-su,  volun- 
teered to  guide  us  through  the^  streets,  which  are  so 
narrow,  from  three  to  twelve  feet  wide,  and  so 
crooked,  that  we  should  have  found  it  difficult  to 
proceed  alone.  The  number  of  fresh  fish  in  the 
markets  was  really  surprising.  The  river  is  here 
not  one-fourth  of  a  mile  wide,  and  hardly  six  feet 
deep,  and  yet  as  far  as  we  could  learn,  it  supplies 
the  whole  of  the  teeming  population  of  both  its 
banks,  including  those  of  the  cities  of  Chang-Chow, 
Cho-bey,  and  Haeteng.  Here  we  saw  immense 
numbers  of  fine  large  fish,  fresh  from  the  water,  and 
excellent  in  flavour,  as  we  proved  by  experiment. 
After  walking  till  we  were  tired,  we  stopped  in 
front  of  an  idol  temple,  and  Mr.  A.  addressed  the 
crowd  that  gathered  around  us.  They  were  quite 
attentive,  and  the  questions  asked  by  several  of 
them,  showed  that  they  understood  what  was  spo- 
ken to  them. 

It  was  now  noon,  the  sun  was  hot,  we  had  been 
wearied  at  Cho-bey  in  the  morning,  besides  being 
almost  overpowered  by  the  excitement  of  the  two 
previous  days,  and  the  wind  being  ahead,  it  was 
important  to  secure  the  favourable  tide,  which  was 
now  making  for  Amoy.  Accordingly  we  tui'ned 
our  faces  homeward,  and  at  sunset  re-entered  our 
houses  in  Ku-lang-su;  glad  and  thankful  for  the 
wonderful  things  we  had  seen,  the  favours  received, 
and  the  mercies  enjoyed  during  our  three  days'  ex- 
cursion. 

In  looking  back  over  this  excursion,  and  over  the 
"whole  of  my  voyage,  there  are  several  points  that 


192  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LO^VRIE. 

deserve  to  be  prominently  brought  forward;  and 
though  my  journal  is  already  long,  a  few  remarks 
on  each  will  not  be  out  of  place. 

The  attentive  reader  of  this  journal  will  have 
been  struck  with  the  frequent  reference  to  the 
amazing  populousness  of  the  country ;  but  it  is  im- 
possible to  convey  any  adequate  idea  of  the  real 
state  of  the  case.  If  the  cities  of  Boston,  New 
York,  Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore  were  situated  in 
a  valley  forty  miles  long,  and  ten  or  fifteen  broad, 
and  the  whole  intervenmg  country  were  so  thickly 
covered  with  villages  that  a  man  should  never  be 
out  of  sight  of  one  or  more  of  them,  stiU  the  popu- 
lation of  that  valle}^  would  not  be  as  great  as  is  the 
population  of  that  part  of  China,  of  which  the  pre- 
ceding pages  speak.  At  seven  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, we  were  at  Amoy ;  by  two  o'clock  p.  m.  we  had 
passed  Haeteng  and  Cho-bey,  and  were  anchored 
at  Chang-Chow.  Here  were  four  cities,  any  one  of 
which  would  be  a  city  of  the  first  size  in  the  United 
States,  and  around  these  four  cities,  there  must  be 
at  least  two  hundred  villages  and  towns;  and  this 
is  not  all,  for  withm  thirty  miles  of  Amo}^,  in 
another  direction,  is  the  city  of  Timg-an,  said  to  be 
twice  as  large  as  Amoy,  with,  I  know  not  how 
many  towns  and  villages  in  its  neighbourhood. 
The  mind  is  overwhelmed  to  think  of  this  immense 
population,  numerous  as  the  sand  on  the  sea-shore, 
and  all  so  closely  crowded  together,  and  so  easily 
reached,  by  water  communication,  for  in  a  boat  3^ou 
may  go  to  any  one  of  those  places  m  less  than  a 
single  day.  If  the  country  around  each  of  the 
other  ports  is  as  populous,  as  we  now  know  that 
around  Amoy  to  be,  and  the  probability,  from  all  I 
can  learn,  is  that  it  is  quite  as  populous,  then  what 
fields  are  here  for  Christian  effort !  I  am  astonished 
and  confounded,  and  even,  after  what  I  have  seen, 
can  scarcely  believe  the  half  of  what  must  be  true 
respecting   the  multitudes  of  people  who  live  in 


MEMOIR   OF  WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  193 

China,  and  the  multitudes  who  are  perfectly  acces- 
sible to  the  efforts  of  the  missionary. 

It  has  been  strongly  and  repeatedly  impressed 
upon  my  mind,  from  what  I  have  lately  seen,  that 
to  no  country  in  the  world  will  our  Saviour's  words, 
''  to  the  poor  the  Gospel  is  preached,"  be  found  so 
applicable  as  to  China.  Many  people  look  on  China 
as  it  were  some  great  mine  of  gold  and  jewels, 
where  every  man  is  clothed  in  silks  and '  faring 
sumptuously  every  day;  but  nothing  can  be  further 
from  the  true  state  of  the  case.  There  are  many 
wealthy  men  in  China,  and  wherever  the  missionary 
goes,  he  will  meet  them,  and  associate  with  them. 
But  the  great  mass  of  the  people  are  poor,  in  the 
strictest  sense  of  the  term.  It  cannot  but  be  so, 
where  a  country  is  so  crowded  with  inhabitants, 
that  there  is  sometimes  hardly  room  to  bury  their 
dead  out  of  their  sight,  the  great  majority  of  the 
people  must  be  poor.  You  see  it  here,  in  the  coarse 
clothing  they  wear,  the  food  they  eat,  the  homes 
they  iidiabit,  the  furniture  they  use,  and  the  wages 
they  receive.  You  see  it  in  the  fact  that  their  only 
coined  money  is  so  small  that  it  requires  twelve 
hundred  to  make  a  doUar,  and  happy  is  he  who  re- 
ceives two  hundred  of  these  for  his  day's  labour. 
Let  the  missionary  who  comes  to  China,  bear  this 
in  mind.  The  brightest  talents  are  needed  in 
preaching  to  the  poor,  but  especially  will  he  need 
the  graces  of  humility  and  self-denial,  of  faith  and 
of  patience,  in  his  intercourse  with  this  people,  and 
his  efforts  to  instruct  them.  This  is  a  point  that 
admits  of  much  enlargement,  both  in  proving  the 
poverty  of  the  people,  if  that  be  necessary,  and  in 
speaking  of  the  qualifications  necessary  to  one  who 
labours  among  them.  But  a  word  to  the  wise  and 
the  thovghifid^  is  sufficient. 

It  is  a  sad  and  melancholy  thing  to  be  obliged  to 

refer  so  often  as  I  have  done  to  the  prevalence  of 

the  use  of  opium  in  China.     The  number  of  vessels 

employed,  and  the  amount  of  capital  embarked  in 

17 


194  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LO^VRIE. 

the  opium  trade,  have  been  slightly  referred  to  in 
the  preceding  pages.  At  some  other  time  I  may 
give  fuller  statements  on  this  subject;  but  at  present, 
all  that  need  be  added,  is,  that  the  half  has  not  been 
told.  The  connivance  of  the  Chinese  officers  at  the 
traffic,  and  the  eagerness  of  the  Chinese  people  to 

Erocui^e  the  drug,  have  also  been  referred  to.  I 
ave  only  further  to  say,  that  wherever  I  have  been 
in  China,  1  have  seen  it  used.  In  all  the  opium 
depots  along  the  coast,  it  is  of  course  freely  used. 
At  Amoy,  '^  every  man  who  can  afford  to  buy  it, 
uses  it."  In  the  little  island  of  San-pan-shan,  the 
only  question  the  people  asked  of  the  Christian 
missionary,  was,  whether  he  had  opium  to  sell,  and 
there  he  saw  the  floor  of  the  idol  temple  covered 
with  the  half-stupefied  smokers  of  opium.  While 
at  Chang-Chow,  one  of  the  officers  came  on  board 
the  boat  where  we  lodged,  and  while  he  was  on 
board,  I  perceived  the  peculiar  smell  of  opium,  and 
looking  down,  saw  two  men  smoking  it  in  the  hold 
beneath  my  feet.  I  have  been  made  sick  by  the 
smell  of  it,  in  an  opium  house  at  Canton,  and  have 
held  my  breath  as  I  passed  the  opium  dens  in 
Macao.  I  have  walked  on  the  steep  hiU-sides  of 
Hong  Kong,  and  there  have  seen  common  beggars^ 
who  dwelt  "in  cliffs  of  the  valle3^s,  in  caves  of  the 
earth,  and  in  rocks" — and  who  were  too  poor  to  buy 
an  opium  pipe,  smoking  opium  out  of  a  little 
earthen  vessel  in  which  they  had  drilled  a  hole, 
that  it  might  serve  as  a  substitute  for  a  pipe !  And 
what  hope  can  there  be  for  such  a  people  ?  Men 
of  the  world,  honourable  and  upright  men  too,  wiU 
sell  them  opium  for  money.  The  Chinese  will  buy 
it,  let  the  emperor  thunder  against  it  as  long  as  he 
chooses,  and  the  smoker  will  use  it,  though  it 
weakens  his  body,  impairs  his  mind,  stupefies  his 
conscience,  and  renders  him  miserable  when  not 
under  its  influence.  There  is  no  help  for  them  but 
in  God.  The  use  of  opium  in  China  will  never  be 
abolished,  until  a  reformation,  similar  to  the  tern- 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  195 

perance  reformation  of  America,  commence  among 
the  people  themselves.  And  that  reformation  I 
fear  will  not  commence,  and  certainly  will  not  be 
completed,  till  the  religion  of  Christ  takes  deep  root, 
and  becomes  the  predominant  power  in  China. 
Let  Christians,  then,  cry  mightily  unto  God,  in 
behalf  of  this  ancient  people.  His  hand  is  not 
shortened  that  it  cannot  save,  nor  his  ear  heavy 
that  it  cannot  hear. 


Hong  Kong,  October  16th,  1843. 

After  getting  back  to  Amoy  on  Friday,  I  spent 
part  of  that  night  and  the  next  day  in  writing.  A 
little  vessel  of  some  thirty  tons  bm^den,  here  called 
a  lorcha,  being  about  to  sail  for  Macao  and  Hong 
Kong,  I  found  Mr.  Roberts  had  taken  passage  in 
her.  As  there  was  no  prospect  of  a  vessel  soon  for 
Hong  Kong  from  Amoy,  and  as  I  was  anxious  to 
reach  home  soon,  I  concluded  to  take  a  passage  in 
her  too.  Mr.  Abeel  did  not  want  me  to  go  so  soon; 
and  certainly,  although  she  promised  a  safe  and 
quick  passage,  there  was  every  prospect  of  its  being 
an  uncomfortable  one,  the  vessel  being  so  small,  and 
likely  to  roll  so  much.  No  danger,  however,  was 
apprehended,  and  the  price  of  passage,  only  twenty 
dollars,  was  an  inducement.  I  should  probably 
have  had  to  pay  forty  or  fifty  dollars,  besides 
waiting  some  time,  if  I  went  in  a  ship.  The  lorcha 
was  manned  by  three  Englishmen  and  four  Chinese, 
had  mat  sails,  and  had  recently  come  up  from  Macao 
against  the  monsoon. 

Monday  at  noon,  though  the  wind  was  very  high, 
we  started.  Soon  got  to  the  mouth  of  the  harbour ; 
but  there  we  found  the  wind  so  strong,  and  the  sea 
so  high,  we  were  afraid  to  go  out,  and  therefore  put 
back  to  wait  for  better  weather.  The  wind  abated 
during   the  night,  and  the  next  day,  we   started 


196  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

a^ain,  got  to  sea,  and  were  fairly  on  our  course. 
The  wind  was  still  strong,  and  the  sea  rough,  but 
we  went  on  finel}^,  and  in  six  hours  were  a  long 
way  off  from  Amoy.  Soon  after  dark,  however, 
our  rudder  was  broken  by  the  violence  of  a  wave 
that  struck  it.  The  rudders  of  all  the  Chinese  built 
vessels  are  very  large  awkward  things,  and  very 
apt  to  be  broken.  We  found  ourselves  quite  help- 
less, as  we  could  not  direct  the  vessel's  course  at 
all.  Being  quite  dark,  there  was  nothing  we  could 
do  but  heave  the  vessel  to  and  let  her  drift  till  day- 
light. In  so  small  a  vessel,  and  in  such  a  situation, 
I  considered  it  a  little  unsafe,  and  kept  awake 
nearly  all  night,  to  see  how  she  would  behave. 
But  though  the  wind  and  sea  were  strong  and  rough, 
she  rode  like  a  duck,  and  though  rolling  very  much, 
took  in  little  water.  Mr.  Roberts  was  very  sea- 
sick. 

Wednesday  morning,  the  weather  continued  clear 
but  rough,  and  we  found  ourselves  drifting  along 
the  coast.  The  men  tried  to  make  a  new  rudder 
with  two  bamboo  poles,  but  it  would  not  work. 
They  then  slept  several  hours,  and  tried  to  repair 
the  broken  rudder;  but  did  it  so  awkwardly  that 
it  also  was  useless.  They  seemed  disposed  then  to 
do  nothing  but  wait  for  calmer  weather.  At  this 
season  of  the  year  there  was  no  prospect  of  the 
weather  growing  worse  than  it  then  was.  I  knew, 
also,  that  the  course  of  the  wind  and  current  Avould 
cause  us  to  drift  down  along  the  coast  in  sight  of 
land  as  far  as  Pedro  Branca,  a  rock  forty-five  miles 
from  Hong  Kong.  After  reaching  that  rock,  there 
would  be  danger  of  being  driven  out  into  the  open 
China  Sea;  but  at  the  rate  we  supposed  we  were 
going,  we  did  not  expect  to  see  Pedro  Branca  for 
five  or  six  days,  and  we  were  pretty  sure  in  that 
time  that  the  weather  would  moderate.  I  concluded, 
therefore,  that  there  was  no  immediate  cause  of 
apprehension,  but  it  was  very  unpleasant  to  think 
of  spending  so  many  days  in  that  little  rolling  damp 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  197 

flace.  Yet  there  seemed  to  be  no  help  for  it,  and 
tried  to  nerve  my  mind  to  bear  it.  A  little  spray 
occasionally  dashed  over  ns,  and  sometimes  a  few 
drops  forced  themselves  through  the  windows,  and 
made  our  sleeping  place  wet,  but  altogether,  it  was 
very  far  superior  to  the  long-boat.  During  Wednes- 
day night  I  found  Mr.  Roberts  was  a  great  deal 
alarmed.  However,  I  was  an  older  sailor  than  he, 
and  my  former  "experience"  now  wrought  "hope," 
so  that  I  had  little  fear. 

Thursday  we  drifted  on,  gradually  however  edging 
off  further  from  the  land.  One  of  the  men  had  been 
along  the  coast  frequently,  and  said  he  knew  where 
we  were,  all  the  time.  According  to  his  account, 
we  were  drifting  at  about  thirty  miles  a  day. 

Thursday  night  also  Mr.  Roberts  was  much 
alarmed,  and  I  confess  I  did  not  myself  like  the 
idea  of  our  getting  out  so  far  from  land  as  we 
evidently  were.  However,  I  slept  well,  as  I  had 
done  the  night  before.  The  weather  too  seemed  to 
be  a  little  better ;  wind  abating  some,  though  the 
sea  was  still  rough. 

Friday  morning  at  daylight  we  could  scarcely  see 
the  land,  and  by  nine  o'clock,  we  were  out  of  sight 
of  it.  Finding  the  men  were  disposed  to  do  very 
little,  I  took  the  matter  in  hand,  and  representing 
the  danger  of  being  out  at  sea,  urged  the  propriety 
of  running  the  boat  on  shore  if  possible;  and  if 
nothing  better  offered,  of  trying  to  go  to  Hong  Kong 
by  land.  This  stirred  them  up,  and  they  agreed  to 
try  and  repair  the  rudder  a  little  better,  and  do 
something  in  that  way  if  possible.  We  saw  several 
fishing-boats  going  out  to  fish,  a  pretty  sure  sign 
that  the  fishermen  anticipated  a  calm  time.  After 
a  little  while  the  men  got  their  rudder  repaired. 
She  worked  admirably,  and  we  went  on  our  course 
finely.  "  Thank  God,"  said  one  of  the  men,  "  we 
shall  see  Pedro  Branca  to-night."  This  was  before 
eleven  o'clock  a.  m.  In  half  an  hour  or  so,  I  said 
to  the  captain,  "Is  that  an  English  or  a  Chinese 

17* 


198  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

vessel,  away  off  there?" — "Well,  I  was  just  a 
lookin';  oh,  I  'spose  it's  a  Chinese  vessel.'^  The 
mate  looked  at  it  steadfastly,  "  That !  that's  Pedro 
Branca!  forty-five  miles  from  Hong  Kong!"  So  it 
w^as,  we  had  drifted  a  hundred  miles  further  than 
we  thought,  and  had  come  altogether  one  hundred 
and  sixty  miles  in  less  than  three  da3^s !  How  pro- 
vidential it  was  we  got  the  rudder  repaired  at  the 
time  w^e  did !  If  w^e  had  not,  the  probability  is  we 
should  on  that  day  (Frida}^)  have  been  in  the  China 
Sea;  and  then  almost  our  only  hope  w^ould  have 
been  to  have  been  picked  up  by  some  vessel.  Truly 
goodness  and  mercy  have  followed  me  hitherto. 

Saturday  morning  at  daylight  we  were  within  ten 
miles  of  Hong  Kong.  An  American  vessel  was 
just  before  us.  As  soon  as  the  men  saw  her,  they 
said,  "  That's  an  American  ship."  "  How  do  you 
know  ?"  said  I.  "  Oh,  any  one  who's  accustomed 
to  vessels  can  almost  always  tell  an  American  ves- 
sel, they  always  look  so  clean."  The  remark  is  one 
often  made. 

We  anchored  at  nine  o'clock  A.  M.  in  Hong  Kong 
harbour,  and  having  breakfasted,  and  called  the  men 
into  the  cabin  to  rounder  thanks  to  God  for  the  good- 
ness and  mercy  received  on  our  voyage,  we  Avent 
ashore;  we  were  only  one  day  longer  in  coming 
than  we  had  expected  to  be,  notwithstanding  the 
loss  of  our  rudder. 

Most  of  my  friends  in  Hong  Kong  declared  they 
never  would  go  to  sea  with  me,  as  the  elements 
were  leagued  against  me,  and  that  I  must  consider 
myself  as  settled  in  Macao  or  Hong  Kong.  The 
ship  we  saw,  wdiich  got  in  just  before  us,  was  the 
Zenobia.  I  did  not  get  my' letters  till  evening,  and 
it  kept  me  till  bed-time  to  get  through  with  all, — 
but  oh,  what  new^s !  a  beloved  brother  hopefully 
pious ;  a  donation  of  ten  thousand  dollars  for  Chi- 
na; five  new  missionaries  preparing  for  the  same 
great  field !  ^ly  heart  was  full.  For  hours  after  I 
went  to  bed  1  could  not  sleep.     Oh  hoAv  I  thought 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  199 

of  the  past,  the  present  and  the  future !  I  got  up 
and  walked  about  the  room;  being  " merry,"  1  sang 
a  hymn ;  and  knelt  down  to  pray.  Oh,  it  is  worth 
a  great  deal  to  get  such  news,  and  so  dehghtful 
after  the  unpleasant  contrast  of  the  week  previous. 

Found  the  Hepburns  had  started  about  ten  days 
before  in  a  very  fine  vessel  for  Amoy ;  was  very 
glad  to  hear  it,  though  I  knew  that  with  the  winds 
they  had  had  they  could  make  little  progress,  and 
would  have  a  dreadfully  rough  time. 

'Sabbath  (yesterday)  I  preached  in  the  chapel 
here  in  the  morning,  and  talked  to  the  boys  in  Mr. 
Brown's  school  in  the  evening. 

To-day  I  meant  to  have  gone  to  Macao,  but  not 
being  able  to  get  the  specie  on  board  the  Zenobia 
safely  deposited,  I  found  it  necessary  to  remain 
another  day.  Just  about  four  o'clock,  w^ho  should 
come  in  but  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hepburn,  driven  back  by 
the  bad  weather  ?  They  were  far  more  surprised  to 
see  me  than  I  to  see  them.  They  have  had  dread- 
ful weather,  and  a  rough  time.  Poor  Mrs.  H.  was 
very  sea-sick,  but  looks  quite  as  well  as  when  I  left 
Macao.  They  will  probably  start  in  a  few  days  to 
make  a  second  effort. 

Macao,  October  22d,  1843.  The  gale  in  which  we 
lost  our  rudder  in  the  lorcha,  and  drifted  so  far, 
was  quite  terrific  further  south.  The  vessel  in 
which  the  Hepburns  were,  had  to  put  back  with  the 
loss  of  spars,  sails,  &c. ;  several  other  vessels  had 
also  to  put  back,  and  this  last  week  in  Hong  Kong, 
we  heard  that  the  vessel  in  which  Mr.  Medhurst 
and  Mr.  Milne  were  proceeding  to  Chusan,  had  lost 
her  top-masts,  had  her  captain  swept  overboard  and 
drowned,  and  was  finally  obliged  to  put  into  Manilla 
in  distress.  Mr.  Milne,  describing  the  gale,  said 
that  ^^for  ten  hours  they  expected  nothing  but 
death." 

This  week  1  have  had  a  regular  attack  of  chill 
and  fever,  the  first  for  thirteen  years.  It  was 
brought  on,  I  have  no  doubt,  by  the  exposure  of 


200  MEMOIR   OF  WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

the  last  six  weeks.  Last  Thursday  was  the  first 
day  I  have  spent  in  bed  from  sickness,  for  more 
than  eight  years. 

October  24th.  How  sad  and  mysterious  often- 
times are  the  dispensations  of  Providence  !  I  must 
close  my  journal  with  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Dyer,  who  has  been  so  long  engaged  in  preparing 
Chinese  metal  type.  He  came  up  here  in  July 
with  the  other  missionaries  of  the  London  Mission- 
ary Society,  to  attend  a  missionary  meeting  ordered 
by  their  society  in  Hong  Kong.  After  transacting 
all  the  business  required,  he  went  to  Canton  to  see 
the  place,  and  was  there  taken  with  the  disease 
that  has  prevailed  so  fearfully  in  Hong  Kong  this 
year.  He  began  to  recover,  took  his  passage  in  a 
vessel  going  to  Singapore,  and  came  down  to  Hong 
Kong ;  I  saw  him  there  on  board  his  ship,  the  day 
I  got^back  from  Amoy.  He  was  recovering  rapidly. 
The  vessel  came  over  here,  and  was  unexpectedly 
detained  several  days ;  he  had  a  relapse,  was  brought 
ashore  to  our  house,  and  died  this  morning  at  ten 
o'clock.  Yesterday  his  mind  was  wandering  all  day, 
but  this  morning  he  was  sensible,  knew  us  all,  knew 
he  was  dying,  said  he  felt  "very  happy,"  and  often 
repeated  "sweet  Jesus,  sweet  Jesus."  I  was  with 
him  when  he  died.  His  spirit  seemed  to  depart 
with  scarcely  a  struggle.  He  had  been  out  in  this 
region  seventeen  years,  and  there  is  no  one  who  can 
take  the  place  he  occupied.  He  has  left  a  wife  and 
four  children.  Humanly  speaking,  his  death  is  a 
very  great  loss.  He  was  a  man  of  piety  and  prayer, 
and  of  a  most  catholic  spirit. 

Thus  we  go:  one  after  another  is  called  to  his 
long  home.  ^In  one  respect,  the  death  of  these  ser- 
vants of  God  is  even  cheering.  Their  work  is 
finished,  and  thus  another  part  of  the  great  work 
God  has  to  do  on  earth  is  accomphshed.  It  will 
not  have  to  be  done  agiun.  .  .  . 


IVIEMOm   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  201 

Macao,  November  4th,  1843. 

To  THE  Society  of  Inquiry  in  the  Western  Theo- 
LOGic.lL  Seminary. 

Dear  Brethren:  —  On  the  27th  of  July,  this 
year,  a  letter  was  put  into  my  hands,  adclresed  to 
my  colleague  in  this  mission,  the  Rev.  T.  L.  McBryde. 
As  3^ou  will  have  learned  before  now,  he  sailed  for 
the  United  States,  early  in  the  month  preceding  its 
arrival.  He  left  with  me,  however,  a  discretionary 
power  to  open  his  letters,  and  suspecting  from  the 
postmark  that  it  was  from  your  society,  I  opened 
and  read  it.  I  suppose  that  a  letter  from  myself  in 
reply,  will  be  nearly  equally  acceptable,  especially 
as  I  was  brought  up  almost  in  sight  of  your  Semi- 
nary, and  have  spent  more  than  half  of  my  life 
within  thirty  miles  of  it. 

I  can  assure  you,  that  it  will  ever  afford  me  great 
pleasure  to  correspond  with  you.  I  have  been  a 
theological  student  myself,  and  know  the  interest 
that  such  students  feel  in  letters  from  missionaries ; 
and  I  can  speak  from  experience  too,  when  I  say 
that  a  missionary  is  glad  to  receive  letters  from  a 
society  like  yours.  It  was  interesting  to  me  to  read 
your  accounts  of  the  revivals  of  religion  in  the  West, 
for  it  recalled  the  memory  of  other  days,  when  I 
also  shared  in  such  precious  seasons.  Dear  brethren, 
you  cannot  too  highly  value,  nor  too  sedulously  im- 
prove, the  opportunities  you  now  have  of  intercourse 
m  Christian  society, — of  labouring  for  the  good  of 
souls,  and  e^yDecially  of  being  present  where  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  poured  out.  Should  you  ever 
become  missionaries  to  the  heathen,  there  is  nothing 
that,  in  the  review,  will  give  you  more  real  delight 
than  to  recall  such  times.  I  have  in  my  native  land 
mingled  in  various  scenes;  I  have  gone  to  the 
literary  feast,  the  crowded  assembly,  and  the  cheer- 
ful social  circle,  and  found  pleasure  in  all;  but  I 
now  recall;  with  far  more  satisfaction,  the  solitary 


202  IVIEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

walk  over  the  hills  with  a  single  Christian  brother, 
the  visit  to  the  poor  old  Christian  negro's  cottage, 
the  little  prayer-meeting  in  the  house  where  the  lame 
mother  in  Israel  joined  in  the  song  of  praise,  and  the 
country  Sabbath  school.  I  have  forgotten  many 
other  things,  but  I  have  not  forgotten  the  Brainerd 
meetings  of  Jefferson  College,  nor  the  time  when,  in 
one  of  the  rooms  in  your  seminary,  a  classmate  and 
myself  bowed  the  knee  in  prayer  to  our  common 
Father.  Lay  up  a.  store  of  such  things  for  recollection, 
and  they  will  cheer  many  a  lonely  hour  in  your 
future  course. 

Your  letter  asks  several  questions,  which  I  will 
answer,  and  also,  if  you  permit,  will  add  some  other 
items.  You  ask  what  special  preparation  is  neces- 
sary for  the  field  of  labour?  I  think,  frincipallii 
those  of  a  spiritual  nature.  I  mean,  strong  faith  to 
believe  Grod  s  promises  that  the  world  shall  be  con- 
verted, for  you  will  find  little  in  the  outward  aspect 
of  things  to  make  you  think  so ;  i3atience  and  perse- 
verance, for  both  are  needed.  You  may  have  to 
labour  here  for  many  3^ears,  and  see  little  apparent 
fruit  of  your  labour.  Above  all,  put  on  charity, 
which  is  the  bond  of  perfectness.  Cultivate  the 
spirit  of  love  and  forbearance,  for  you  will  find 
abundant  occasion  for  its  exercise.  I  trust  you  have 
none  of  those  romantic  notions  that  will  induce  you 
to  think  a  missionary  a  superior  being.  We  are 
men  of  like  passions  with  others.  We  come  from 
different  parts  of  the  world  with  different  views, 
from  the  influences  of  ver}^  different  states  of  public 
feeling.  We  come  to  a  country  where  there  is  no 
public  feeling,  where  each  man  must  judge  for  him- 
self, where  there  is  no  standard  of  public  opinion 
such  as  you  have  at  home.  In  such  circumstances, 
it  is  natural  to  expect  great  diversity  of  views,  and 
nothing  but  the  spirit  of  meekness,  and  forbearance, 
and  love  will  enable  you  to  live  happily  with  your 
fellow-labourers.  The  longer  I  live,  the  more  I  am 
struck  with  the  expressiveness  of  those  reiterated 


MEMOIR  OP   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  203 

commands  of  our  Saviour  in  his  last  address  to  his 
disciples,  to  love  one  another.  Brethren,  studv  and 
practise  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  first  Corinthians, 
and  it  will  do  you  good  wherever  you  are. 

As  to  other  preparations,  the  more  you  know  on 
all  subjects,  provided  you  know  it  well,  the  better. 
There  is  hardly  an  item  of  general  knowledge  of  any 
kind  that  I  ever  acquired,  which  I  have  not  already 
found  occasion  to  bring  into  use.  On  subjects  of 
general  knowledge,  it  is  important,  if  you  come  to 
this  field,  to  know  pretty  well  the  histories  of 
England,  France,  and  India.  I  take  for  granted 
that  you  know  the  history  of  our  own  country 
thoroughly,  and  can  tell  why  the  American  flag  has 
thirteen  stripes,  and  twenty-six  stars.  Study  Geo- 
logy and  Botany  by  all  means.  These  two  sciences 
are  of  prime  importance,  and  you  wdll  almost  daily 
find  the  benefit  of  an  acquaintance  with  them.  I 
do  not  think  a  knowledo^e  of  medicine  necessary  to  a 
missionary  to  China.  If  you  have  an  opportunity 
of  learning  something  about  it,  very  well;  but  you 
will  not,  I  think,  find  it  advantageous  to  unite  an 
extensive  medical  practice  with  the  preaching  of  the 
Grospel.  The  two  should  go  together,  but  it  seems 
better  that  they  should  be  performed  by  difierent 
persons. 

I  think  the  climate  of  the  ports  of  Ningpo  and 
Shanghae  will  be  found  most  suitable  for  persons 
from  the  United  States.  Persons  disposed  to  bilious 
complaints  and  dyspeptics  will  sufier  a  good  deal 
in  the  Canton  and  Fuhkeen  provinces.  I  think 
a  confirmed  dyspeptic  might  almost  as  well  not  come 
here.  Persons  liable  to  consumption  would  find  the 
Canton  and  Fuhkeen  provinces  delightful  residences, 
and  I  think  that  even  those  of  bilious  habits  would 
be  nearly  as  safe  in  Ningpo  and  Chusan,  as  in  the 
United  States.  They  have  ice  and  snow  there  in 
winter.  The  Chinese  language  is  very  difficult,  and 
I  am  disposed  to  say,  that  one  who  cannot  make 
some  tolerable  progress  in  Latin,  Greek,  or  Hebrew, 


204  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

may  as  well  not  come  here.  The  language  is  the 
difficulty  in  China.  I  do  not  think  it  unattainable. 
I  think  its  difficulties  have  been  exaggerated.  I 
think  that  every  year  its  acquisition  will  be  found 
easier,  because  more  facilities  m  the  way  of  elemen- 
tary books,  and  access  to  the  people,  are  being 
afforded.  In  other  respects,  I  do  not  consider  the 
field  as  "peculiarly  arduous."  On  the  contrary, 
it  is  a  peculiarl}^  inviting  one.  I  came  here  almost 
unwillingl}^,  for  1  wanted  to  go  to  Africa,  but  what 
I  have  seen  has  made  me  glad  I  came;  and  if  I 
know  my  own  heart,  its  desbe  is  to  live  and  die 
among  this  people.  One  thing  is  very  certain,  mis- 
sionaries who  come  to  this  people  will  find  them  in 
general  poor  and  ignorant.  Here,  emphatically,  ^'to 
the  poor  the  gospel  will  be  preached."  You  must 
therefore  make  up  your  minds  to  become  teachers 
of  babes  when  you  come  to  this  people.  There  are, 
I  admit,  man}^  exceptions,  and  you  will  often  meet 
men  of  considerable  learning  and  tact,  but  the  mass 
of  the  people  are  as  above  described.  Your  own 
experience  has  probably  already  taught  you,  that 
it  is  more  difficult  for  an  educated  man  to  come 
down  and  instruct  the  ignorant,  than  it  is  to  instruct 
those  who  already  know  something.  This  sugges- 
tion, therefore,  may  assist  you  somewhat  in  judging 
of  the  qualities  a  missionary  needs,  in  instructing 
this  people  :  they  are  patience,  a  facility  in  finding 
comparisons,  a  talent  for  simplifying,  an  engaging 
address,  &c.  &c. 

....  There  are  many  items  of  intelligence  I  might 
communicate  to  you;'  but  you  will  see  in  the  pages 
of  the  Chronicle  and  Foreign  Missionary,  much 
more  than  I  can  possibly  write  at  this  time,  and 
therefore  I  shall  refer  you  to  them.  I  do  so  the 
more  readily,  because  I  have  nothing  of  especial 
interest  to  communicate  to  you,  except  what  this 
letter  contains,  which  will  not  appear  in  one  or  other 
of  those  pubhcations.  My  own  progress  in  the  lan- 
guage has  been  but  small.     Nearly  one-half  of  the 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  205 

time,  since  my  arrival  in  China,  has  been  spent  in 
voyages,  and  other  engagements  connected  with  the 
mission;  so  that  altogether  I  have  given  but  eight 
or  nine  months'  close  attention  to  it.  Still  I  am 
encouraged,  and  hope  ere  long  to  have  a  tolerably 
good  acquaintance  with  it. 

Allow  me,  in  conclusion,  to  make  some  remarks 
on  your  own  duty  in  reference  to  the  heathen,  and 
these  I  trust  you  will  receive  not  as  coming  from  a 
superior,  but  from  one  himself  recently  a  theological 
student,  and  still  remembering  the  feelings  of  such. 
Your  letter  speaks  with  just  severity  of  the  incon- 
sistency of  those  who  pass  resolutions  to  do  some- 
thing special  for  the  cause  of  foreign  missions,  and 
yet  make  no  special  efforts  to  accomplish  their  re- 
solutions. You  speak  too  of  the  apathy  of  the 
churches  on  this  subject,  and,  as  I  thiuk,  partly  lay 
the  blame  at  the  door  of  the  pastors  of  the  churches. 
I  am  convinced  from  what  1  have  seen,  and  I  saw 
a  good  deal  before  leaving  the  United  States,  that 
the  fault  is  with  the  ministry.  "Like  priest,  like 
people,"  is  an  ancient  and  true  proverb.  But  I  do 
not  mean  to  blame  the  ministry  in  general,  nor  to 
pass  an  indiscriminate  censure  even  on  those  of 
them  who  have  done  little  or  nothing.  My  object 
rather  is  to  forget  the  things  that  are  behmd,  and 
to  press  forward  to  those  that  are  before.  Hence 
it  has  ever  appeared  exceedingly  important,  that 
the  students  in  our  theological  seminaries  should 
have  the  right  spirit  in  the  matter.  Could  I  but 
see  the  right  spirit  prevailing  in  our  theological 
seminaries,  I  am  almost  certain  that  in  ten  years 
our  whole  church  would  assume  an  entirely  different 
appearance,  as  it  regards  the  cause  of  foreign  and 
domestic  missions.  Why?  Because  in  that  time 
I  suppose  our  seminaries  would  have  supplied  five 
hundred  pastors  of  churches  at  least,  and  they 
would  be  settled  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  Sup- 
pose now  that  those  five  hundred  pastors  had  the 
right  spirit,  and  joined  their  influence  heartily  with 
18 


206  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

the  ministers  already  earnestly  engaged,  and  what 
would  be  the  elFect?  Their  influence  would  be  felt 
in  all  our  Presbyteries  and  S3aiods.  When  the 
Assembly  passed  resolutions,  there  would  be  men 
enough  to  respond  to  them.  We  should  no  more 
hear  that  more  than  half  our  churches  give  nothing 
at  all  to  the  cause  of  Christ.  The  whole  appearance 
of  things  would  be  entirely  altered.  Now,  brethren, 
you  form  a  part  of  those  fiA^e  hundred  ministers. 
The  most  of  you,  I  suppose,  w^ill  become  pastors  in 
different  parts  of  the  country.  What  is  your  spirit 
now  in  regard  to  the  benevolent  operations  of  the 
day?  What  do  you  intend  to  do  when  you  are 
settled  over  your  several  charges  ?  Shall  the  theo- 
logical students  of  1853  make  the  same  complaints 
of  you,  that  you  make  of  your  predecessors  ? 

I  have  no  doubt  that  many  of  you,  I  trust  all  of 
you,  intend  to  do  something  at  least  for  foreign  mis- 
sions. Your  ow^n  personal  duty  as  to  becoming  mis- 
sionaries, is  a  subject  I  shall  not  now  touch  upon. 
I  wish  to  refer  to  the  influence  on  behalf  of  foreign 
missions,  which  you  may  exert  on  the  people. 
Your  intentions  are  doubtless  good,  but  what  prepa- 
rations are  you  now  making?  What  do  you  know 
of  missions  ?  Do  you  think  you  will  be  able  to  keep 
up  the  interest  of  your  people  in  the  Monthly  Con- 
cert? Do  you  think  you  will  be  able  to  teach 
them  the  true  principles  of  missions;  not  romantic 
views,  but  sober,  common-sense.  Christian  princi- 
ples? Do  you  think  you  will  be  able  to  sustain 
the  interest  of  j^our  people  from  year  to  year,  and 
not  merely  to  sustain  it,  but  to  cause  it  to  grow ;  to 
take  deeper  root ;  to  become  more  and  more  a  mat- 
ter of  principle,  and  less  and  less  one  of  mere  im- 
pulse ?  Do  you  think  you  will  be  able  to  do  with- 
out the  visits  of  agents  ?  I  trust  you  will  pardon  me 
if  I  say,  I  fear  that  some  of  you  cannot  answ^er  these 
questions  in  the  affirmative.  I  do  not  know  any  of 
you  personally,  and  therefore  you  w^ill*  not  of  course 
consider   my  remarks  as   personal.   I   only   speak 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER  M.    LOWREE.  207 

from  my  knowledge  of  theological  students  in 
general,  and  that  has  been  pretty  extensive,  and 
sufficiently  accurate  to  justify  me  in  making  the 
above  remarks.  It  is  no  easy  thing  to  bring  the 
church  up  to  the  mark,  and  to  keep  her  there,  and 
you  will  find  this  very  soon  after  you  are  settled 
m  the  ministry.  You  will  find  that  without  a 
tolerably  thorough  and  extensive  acquaintance  with 
the  history  and  principles  of  missions^  you  cannot 
do  it. 

Do  you  ask  me,  then,  what  you  are  to  do  ?  I  say, 
first  learn.  Now  is  your  time,  while  you  are  in  the 
seminary.  Lay  a  deep  and  broad  foundation  of 
missionary  knowledge;  study  the  prophecies  of  the 
Bible  in  reference  to  this  point,  and  study  them 
specially.  See  what  prophecies  relate  to  Africa; 
what  to  the  Jews;  whether  there  are  any  for 
China.  Learn  the  history  of  the  progress  of  the 
gospel  in  all  ages  and  countries,  but  particularly 
within  the  last  fifty  years.  Study  the  history  of 
particular  missions.  I  take  it  for  granted  you  will 
study  the  history  of  our  own  Board  and  its  missions^ 
but  I  hope  you  will  not  confine  yourself  to  them. 
God  has  blessed  other  societies,  both  in  America 
and  England,  abundantly;  and  now,  when  the 
means  of  information  are  so  accessible,  why  should 
you  not  avail  yourselves  of  them  ?  Stud}'^  the  Bible 
Avith  reference  to  this  point.  Why  is  it  that  some 
men  at  Monthly  Concerts  read  only  the  seventy- 
second  Psalm,  and  the  sixtieth  chapter  of  Isaiah? 
They  really  seem  to  think  that  there  are  no  other 


parts  of  the  Bible  that  speak  of  missions.  Having 
learned  these  things — and  you  see  from  this  hasty 
outline  that  there  is  not  a  httle  to  be  learned,  and 


that  you  can  best  commence  learning  it  wdiile  in  the 
seminary — the  next  thing  will  be  to  teach.  This 
will  be  your  duty  in  the  public  services  of  the  sanc- 
tuary, in  the  Montlily  Concert,  in  friendly  visits 
among  your  people,  and,  above  all,  in  the  Sabbath- 
school.     Let  it   be   a  special  object  with  you  to 


208  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

interest  the  young,  and  you  will  certainly  succeed. 
Bat  I  have  written  till  my  hand  is  wearied,  and 
perhaps  have  wearied  your  patience.  What  I  have 
written,  however,  though  hastily  penned,  has  not 
been  hastily  gathered.  I  trust  it  will  not  be  hastily 
passed  over  by  you.  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  hear 
i'rom  you  as  soon  as  you  wish  to  write,  and  shall 
prefer  that  you  ask  me  questions,  which  I  shall 
answer  as  I  can.  I  have  some  questions  to  ask 
you  in  return,  to  which  I  shall  be  glad  to  receive 
answers.  What  is  the  order  and  nature  of  your 
exercises  in  the  Society  of  Inquiry,  and  the  Monthly 
Concert  ?  Do  your  students  make  it  a  point  of  con- 
science to  inquire  into  their  own  personal  duty  to 
the  heathen  ?  And  is  this  done  in  the  early  part  of 
your  theological  course?  Do  your  students  gene- 
rally 7^ead  the  missionary  publications,  particularly 
the  Chronicle  and  Herald?  I  don't  mean,  do  you 
take  them?  for  I  have  known  many  students  to 
take,  who  scarcely  ever  read  them.  Is  your  Month- 
ly Concert  well  attended  ?  Do  you  have  any  mis- 
sionary exercises  in  your  Sabbath-schools  ?  And  if 
so,  what  and  how  frequently?  Have  any  of  your 
students  ever  written  one  or  more  missionary  ser- 
mons before  leaving  the  Seminary  ? 

If  ^'^ou  publish  a  catalogue,  I  shall  be  glad  to 
receive  a  copy.  And  now,  dear  brethren,  I  must 
close.  I  make  no  apology  for  the  plainness  of  my 
remarks  and  questions,  and  trust  you  will  receive 
them  in  the  same  frank  and  Christian  spirit  with 
which  they  are  made.  Pray  for  me.  That  the 
choicest  blessings  of  God  may  ever  rest  upon  you, 
is  the  prayer  of 

Your  brother  in  Christ, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE.     ' 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  209 


Macao,  December  15th,  1843. 
My  Dear  Mother — .  .  .  It  has   become  so  cold 
within  a  day  or  two  past  that  I  have  to  think  of 
okl   times.  .  .  .  My  teacher  comes  in  with  half  a 
dozen  jackets  on,  and  draws  his  hands  into  the  long- 
hned  sleeves  of  the  third  of  them,  sitting  as  snug 
and  cosy,  as  if  he  had  a  little  fireplace  under  his 
elbows.     By  the  way,  it  is  extremely  common  for 
Chinese  of  any  wealth  to  carry  a  small  metal  vessel, 
as  large  as  a  man's  fist,  with  live  coals  in  it.     It  is 
used  to  warm  their  fingers  with,  and  when  covered 
up  in  the  long  sleeve  must  diffuse  a  very  grateful 
warmth  up  the  arm.    Frost  and  snow  are  so  seldom 
met  with  here,  that  neither  the  Chinese  nor  the 
Portuguese  ever  build   fireplaces  in   their   houses. 
If  necessary  they  use  a  brazier  with  charcoal,  but 
commonly  adopt  the  expedient  of  heaping  on  addi- 
tional clothes.     Did  I  ever  describe  to  you  the  win- 
ter dress  of  the  generality  of  the  Chinese  about 
here  ?    You  would  laugh  if  you  saw  them.     I  do  not 
know  what  they  have  next  to  the  skin,  but  from  the 
waist  to  the  ankle  the  outside  dress  is  a  pair  of  ^-ery 
closely  fitting  drawers,  which  show  exactly  the  form 
of  the  whole  of  the  lower  extremities.     Then  the 
upper  part  of  the  body  is  covered   with  the  loose 
jacket,  of  which  they  wear  as  many  as  the  weather 
requires,  or  their  means  permit.     Their  appearance 
is    consequently   next    thing    to   ridiculous.     The 
whole  of  the  upper  part  of  the  body  looks  like  a 
barrel  with  a  head  on  the  top  of  it,  while  the  legs 
stick  out  beneath  like  a  pair  of  compasses.     What 
adds  to  the  effect  of  the  whole,  is,  that  the  drawers 
are  of  various  colours  blue,  green,  yellow,  black  and 
white.     Many  a  time  I  have  laughed  at  the  comical 
appearance  of  a  young  dandy,  who  thought  he  was 
making  a  grand  display  in  his  new  clothes  and  well- 
turned  limbs.  _    I  should  like  to  see  one  of  them  in 
Broadway,  with  his  thick  soled  shoes  and  green 
tights,  his  wadded  vests,  and  round  cap  and  long 
18* 


210  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

tail  behind.  Yet,  after  all,  I  am  a  great  admirer  of 
the  Chinese  modes  of  dress.  Their  drawers,  and 
the  thick-soled  shoes,  and  the  tails  are  the  worst 
parts;  but  the  better  classes  do  not  wear  the 
drawers,  or  at  least  they  wear  another  garment  over 
them It  wonld  amuse  you  to  see  how  uni- 
versal the  use  of  the  fan  is.  I  have  seen  a  coolie 
or  common  labourer,  sweating  along  the  streets 
under  a  heavy  burden,  and  fanning  hmiself  all  the 
time.  It  is  funny  to  see  some  of  the  mechanics,  and 
others  a  grade  or  two  above  the  coolies,  fanning 
themselves  in  summer.  Their  dress  then  consists 
of  a  pair  of  very  loose  trowsers  fastened  round  the 
w^aist  by  a  string,  and  an  upper  garment  reaching  a 
little  lower  than  the  top  of  the  trowsers,  and  hang- 
ing loose  over  them.  You  will  see  them  every  now 
and  then  putting  their  hands  behind  them,  and  fan- 
ning up  their  backs,  under  this  jacket. 

My  teacher  is  quite  intelligent  for  a  Chinese, 
though  he  know^s  almost  nothing  of  anything  beyond 
China.  He  thinks  it  very  strange  that  we  say 
north,  east,  south,  and  west,  for  the  Chinese  say 
east,  west,  south  and  north.  It  is  also  very  strange 
to  him  that  we  say  north-east,  south-east,  &c.,  for 
the  Chinese  say  east-north,  east-south,  west-north, 
&c.  I  w^as  amused  at  a  talk  we  had  yesterday  about 
the  Chinese  queue,  or  tail,  as  we  commonly  call 
it.  He  said  that  formerly  it  was  not  worn,  but  that 
the  present  flishion  of  shaving  all  the  front  of  the 
head  and  leaving  it  to  grow^  long  and  braiding  it 
behind  was  introduced  about  tw^o  hundred  years  ago, 
by  the  present  Tartar  dynast  v. 

I  told  him  about  the  death  and  resurrection  of 
Christ,  at  which  he  seemed  much  surprised.  He 
asked  if  Christ  was  not  a  man  like  Confucius.  I 
told  him  no,  but  the  Son  of  God.  As  his  curiosity 
seemed  to  be  somewhat  excited,  I  told  him  I  had  a 
biography  of  Christ  which  I  would  lend  him,  if  he 
wished  to  read  it.  He  said  he  would,  so  I  gave  him 
a  New  Testament,  which  he  took  away  with  him. 


ME^IOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  211 

Oh  that  the  Spirit  of  God  may  make  it  a  blessing  to 
him.  .  . 

With  love  to  all  the  family,  I  remain, 

Yom's  affectionately, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Macao,  November  20th,  1843. 

To  THE   Society  of  Inquiry  of  Princeton  Theolo- 
gical Seminary. 

Dear  Brethren: — It  is  now  rather  more  than 
two  years  since  1  finally  left  your  institution.  I 
did  not  intend  that  so  long  a  time  should  elapse 
without  writing  to  you,  for  both  my  own  inclinations, 
and  a  kind  request  from  your  corresponding  secre- 
tary, have  made  me  wish  to  hold  a  correspondence 
with  you.  Circumstances,  however,  over  which  I 
have  had  little  control,  have  induced  me  to  defer 
writing  tiU  the  present  period.  You  may  be  sure  it 
has  not  been  for  want  of  interest  in  your  institution 
that  I  have  so  long  delayed.  On  the  contrary,  the 
thoughts  of  hallowed  seasons  in  the  old  Oratory 
where  you  meet,  have  been  among  the  most  plea- 
sant of  the  many  pleasant  recollections  I  have 
brought  from  the  land  of  my  bkth. 

You  have  doubtless  heard  marvellous  accounts  of 
the  difficulty  of  the  Chinese  language,  and  the  time 
necessary  to  gain  even  a  ^smattering'  in  it.  Ten, 
fifteen,  twenty,  and  even  twenty-five  years  have  I 
heard  assigned  as  the  time  in  which  a  person  may 
hope  to  gain  some  httle  acquaintance  with  it.  Now 
all  this  is  certainly  incorrect.  There  is  no  doubt 
it  is  a  very  hard  language.  If  any  of  you  come 
here,  you  will  need  a  great  deal  more  resolution  and 
spu'it  than  you  found  needed  for  Hebrew.  It  is,  I 
suppose,  the  hardest  language  in  the  world,  and 


212  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

perhaps  no  foreigner  will  ever  acquire  it  'perfectly ; 
certainly  no  foreigner  ever  has  acquired  it  perfectly. 
But  I  have  seen  several  men  who  have  been  here 
much  less  than  ten  years  who  clo  speak  it  with  great 
fluency,  and  are  quite  mtelligible,  not  merely  to  the 
teacher  who  has  become  accustomed  to  theii'  pro- 
nunciation and  modes  of  thought,  but  to  the  people 
in  general,  and  that  too  in  the  most  difficult  of  all 
the  dialects.  Nor  are  those  who  have  made  such 
acquirements  men  of  the  most  splendid  talents,  and 
wonderful  facilities  in  learning  languages.  They  are 
little,  if  anything,  superior  to  the  most  of  those  who 
become  missionaries.  It  is  also  a  most  important 
consideration  that  the  facilities  for  learning  the  lan- 
guage are  now  vastly  greater  than  they  nave  ever 
before  been,  so  that  at  the  northern  ports  especially, 
a  person  ma}^  hope  to  learn  the  language  in  two- 
thirds  of  the  time  that  was  formerly  requisite.  By 
facilities  I  mean,  books,  teachers,  and  especially 
opportunities  of  access  to  the  people.  I  do  not  wish 
to  give  you  the  impression  that  it  is  a  light  work  to 
learn  it.  If  any  of  you  come  here  with  that  im- 
pression, you  will  be  sadty  disappointed.  But  if  you 
come,  and  sit  down  manfully  to  the  task,  determined 
from  the  outset  to  be  satisfied  with  nothing  less 
than  an  accurate  acquaintance  with  the  toncs^  and 
with  the  soimds,  and  with  the  idioms,  you  will  find 
yourselves  in  two  years'  time  proceeding  with  profit 
and  pleasure.  By  that  time  you  will  have  gained 
much  acquaintance  with  the  character  of  the  people ; 
you  will  be  astonished  at  the  vastness  of  the  field 
open  before  you,  and  you  will  thank  God  that  he 
has  sent  you  to  labour  for  this  great  and  ancient 
race. 

If  you  come  here  as  missionaries,  you  must  ex- 
pect many  trials.  They  will  come  upon  you  in  iln- 
thought-of  ways,  and  where  you  looked  for  most 
joy,  3^ou  may  perhaps  find  most  sorrow.  I  am  led 
to  make  this  remark  for  two  reasons.  It  is  a  fact 
that  Chinese   missionaries   have   been   remarkably 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER  M.   LOWRIE.  213 

tried,  some  by  sickness,  some  by  loss  of  relatives, 
some  by  personal  inconveniences  and  disappoint- 
ments. There  are  some  twenty  or  more  mission- 
aries to  China,  not  including  females;  of  these  twen- 
ty, there  are  scarcely  three  who  have  not  met  some 
sore  trial  within  the  last  fifteen  months.  I  do  not 
know  whether  missionaries  to  other  countries  have 
been  so  generally  afflicted ;  but  very  many  of  them 
have,  and  you  may  be  called  to  experience  the  same. 
There  is  also  another  reason  that  induces  me  to 
think  that  missionaries  to  China  must  expect  trials. 
We  have  a  very  great  work  to  perform.  If  China 
contain,  as  it  probably  does,  one-third  of  the  popu- 
lation of  the  globe,  and  if  this  people  is  to  be  con- 
verted to  God,  then  no  words  of  mine  are  needed, 
as  no  human  words  are  able  to  express  the  great- 
ness of  the  work  before  us.  But  when  was  it  ever 
known  that  any  great  work  was  accomplished  with- 
out labour  and  toil,  self-denial,  sacrifice,  and  often- 
times the  acutest  mental  anguish?  Has  not  every 
great  work  that  ever  has  been  performed  for  God 
in  the  world  been  watered  by  the  sweat,  and  the 
tears,  and  the  blood  of  his  servants  ?  And  can  we 
expect  that  the  conversion  of  the  most  populous 
nation  of  the  globe  shall  be  accomplished  with  or- 
dinary efforts  and  ordinary  sorrows  ?  General  ex- 
perience is  against  it.  The  experience  of  mission- 
aries to  China  is  against  it.  And  the  example  of 
God  our  Saviour,  who,  to  accomplish  the  world's 
redemption,  became  "  sorrowful  even  unto  death," 
should  teach  us,  who  are  to  be  "partakers  of  his 
sufferings,"  not  to  expect  it.  ue  need  to  be 
humbled,  in  the  dust  before  we  can  be  trusted  with 
success,  where  success  is  to  be  so  glorious.  We 
need  to  be  purified  in  the  furnace  before  we  can 
labour  with  acceptance,  where  our  acceptable  labours 
are  to  redound  so  much  to  the  glory  of  God ;  yet 
do  not  think  that  these  trials  will  make  you  un- 
happy. For  a  time  they  will  be  hard  to  bear;  but 
"  He  giveth  more  grace. '     And  great  as  have  been 


214  IMEMOm   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

the  trials  of  the  missionaries  here,  I  have  seldom 
associated  with  persons  who  seemed  so  truly  happy 
as  do  most  of  my  fellow-hibourers  in  China.  These 
trials  are  necessary  for  us  here,  and  it  was  well 
remarked  to  me  by  one  who  was  herself  called  to 
bear  the  yoke,  "  Trials  are  one  of  our  most  precious 
means  of  grace." 

If  I  may  judge  from  what  I  have  seen  in  the 
papers,  the  impression  is  gaining  ground,  that  mis- 
sionaries should  be  unmarried  men:  and  some  of 
the  principal  reasons  adduced  for  this  opinion  are, 
that  it  will  cost  much  less  to  sustain  them;  they 
will  be  much  more  free  to  move  about  and  embrace 
favourable  opportunities  of  doing  good ;  they  will  be 
less  likely  to  go  home;  and  after  all,  the  wives  of 
missionaries  do  not  do  so  very  much,  in  the  way  of 
direct  labour,  and  would  not  be  very  much  missed. 
Those  who  are  in  favour  of  the  marriage  of  mission- 
aries insist  very  much  on  the  direct  usefulness  of 
the  wives  of  missionaries,  and  there  are  many  who 
seem  to  think  this  is  the  chief  reason  for  sending 
them.  Now,  with  all  due  deference  to  the  advo- 
cates of  both  sides,  it  strikes  me  that  these  argu- 
ments place  the  subject  on  the  wrong  ground,  and 
present  it  in  a  false  light. 

ISIissionaries  are  men  of  like  passions  with  others, 
and  in  the  present  day,  when  miraculous  influences 
have  ceased,  I  know  not  why  they  should  be  judged 
of  in  a  dillerent  way  from  other  men;  or  why  the 
broad  principles  of  the  Bible  are  not  as  applicable 
to  them  as  to  other  men.  Now  one  of  the  first 
principles  of  the  Bible  on  this  subject  is,  "It  is  not 
good  that  the  man  should  be  alone."  This  principle, 
I  conceive,  was  recognized  by  our  Saviour  when  the 
disciples  said,  "  It  is  not  good  to  marry."  He  who 
knew  what  was  in  man,  said,  "All  men  cannot  re- 
ceive this  saying — he  that  is  able  to  receive  it,  let 
him  receive  it."  This  is  the  rule  by  which  this 
question  must  be  decided.  It  is  not  good  for  the 
great  majority  of  men  to  be  alone;  first,  because,  if 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  215 

alone  they  are  exposed  to  temptations,  which  sad 
experience  proves  that  most  men  cannot  withstand ; 
secondly,  because,  though  they  may  by  grace  with- 
stand the  temptations  to  actual  sin,  yet  they  are 
not  contented ;  and  they  want  those  solaces  of  affec- 
tion which  the  human  heart  craves,  and  those  coun- 
sels of  intimate  friendship  that  are  so  grateful  to 
him  that  is  separated  from  the  influences  of  Chris- 
tian society.  If,  then,  you  can  live  sinlessly  in  the 
unmarried  state;  if  you  can  be  contented;  if  you 
can  be  satisfied  without  the  kindly  influences  of 
female  society;  then  I  say,  it  is  probably  your  duty 
to  be  an  unmarried  missionary,  but  not  otherwise. 

The  expense  is  not  the  question;  and  as  long  as 
the  Church  is  so  abundantly  able  to  bear  it  as  she 
now  is,  it  is  a  shame  to  mention  such  a  considera- 
tion, or  to  ask,  why  does  not  the  missionary  five  as 
the  whalers  and  fur-hunters  do  ? 

There  is  force  in  the  consideration,  that  an  un- 
married missionary  is  more  free  to  move  about,  and 
at  times  to  occupy  stations  where  married  men  can- 
not easily  go,  and  the  consideration  should  have  its 
own  weight  with  those  who  think  of  this  subject. 
But  there  is  equal  force  in  the  consideration,  that 
permanent  good,  and  visible  efl'ects  have  most  com- 
monly followed  where  the  married  missionary  has 
settled,  and  by  his  settlement  concentrated  his 
efforts.  The  direct  usefulness  of  the  missionar3^'s 
wife,  is  by  no  means  the  main  point  in  deciding  this 
question.  Her  first  duty  in  all  cases  is  to  attend  to 
her  husband  and  children ;  and  if  she  have  time  and 
strength  for  more  than  this,  then  that  is  all  clear 
gain.  Let  her  preserve  her  husband  from  those 
temptations  to  which  unmarried  men  are  exposed; 
let  her  soothe  him  in  his  hours  of  despondency ;  let 
her  relieve  him  from  the  household  cares  that  must 
interrupt  him  if  unmarried ;  let  her  soften  the  dispo- 
sition that  without  her  influence  would  become 
rough  and  rude ;  (for  as  Bacon  says,  ''  Certainly  wife 
and  children  are  a  kind  of  discipUne  of  humanity ;") 


216  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

let  her  show  by  her  silent  example  what  a  Christian 
wife  and  mother  is,  and  how  she  should  be  treated ; 
and  if  she  never  learns  a  syllable  of  the  native  lan- 

fuage,  or  teaches  a  single  heathen  child  a  letter,  she 
as  accomplished  a  work  worth  ten  times  more  than 
the  expense  of  her  outfit  and  support.  These  obser- 
vations may  excite  a  smile,  but  they  are  not  written 
in  levity.  They  may  appear  strange,  and  half- 
romantic,  but  only  to  those  who  have  romantic 
views  of  missions.  Much  thought  and  the  acquaint- 
ance of  several  missionaries,  convince  me  that  they 
are  the  words  of  truth  and  soberness.  As  to  the 
question  whether  it  is  the  wife  who  causes  the  re- 
turn of  the  missionary,  although  the  general  opinion 
seems  to  be  that  it  is,  3^et  I  have  my  doubts.  Cer- 
tainly the  experience  of  the  Presbyterian  Board  does 
not  say  so;  for  of  all  their  missionaries  who  have 
returned  on  account  of  ill  health,  Mr.  Rogers  of 
North  India  is  the  only  one  who  has  3^et  been 
taken  back  by  his  wife's  ill  health;  in  every  other 
case  it  is  the  husband's  iU  health  that  has  taken  the 
wife  back.  The  experience  of  the  American  Board 
seems  to  be  different;  but  I  should  be  glad  to  see  a 
fuller  array  of  facts,  than  the  celebrated  paper  of 
Dr.  Anderson  presents.  It  does  not  strike  me  that 
the  whole  of  the  facts,  in  regard  to  the  return  of  all 
who  do  return,  is  there  presented.  If  I  remember 
rightly,  that  paper  speaks  of  the  return  of  so  many 
married  missionaries,  but  does  not  say  anything 
about  the  return  of  unmarried  missionaries. 

I  have  been  exceedingly  pained  by  some  articles 
I  have  seen  lately  in  the  papers,  in  reference  to  the 
claims  of  the  domestic  and  foreign  fields.  The  spirit 
of  the  articles  referred  to  has  not  been  of  the  right 
kind.  I  have  no  doubt  their  authors  meant  wel], 
but  it  appears  to  me  to  be  an  exceedinoly  erroneous 
course,  to  attempt  to  set  the  claims  of  foreign  and 
domestic  missions  in  array  and  in  opposition  against 
each  other,  or  to  say  that  too  much  attention  has 
been  given  to  the  one,  to  the  neglect  of  the  other. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  217 

The  attempts  I  have  seen  in  some  of  the  papers  to 
show  that  literally  more  has  been  done  for  foreign 
than  for  domestic  missions,  I  pass  by,  as  unworthy 
of  an  answer :  you  can  count  every  cent  that  is  ex- 
pended for  the  foreign  field,  but  you  have  not  the 
statistics  for  one-half  the  expenses  of  the  domestic 
field ;  and  yet  it  is  easily  shown  that  even  the  half 
of  those  expenses  is  much  greater  than  all  that  is 
expended  abroad.  These  men  talk  of  the  vastness 
of  the  domestic  field,  of  the  favourable  openings,  of 
the  need  of  labourers ;  and  they  tell  us  that  these 
men  are  our  brethren,  and  have  special  claims  upon 
us.  I  admit  it  all,  and  if  I  could  add  anything  to 
the  force  of  what  they  say,  I  would  beseech  you,  by 
the  mercies  of  Christ,  and  hy  your  love  for  the 
souls  of  your  brethren,  to  do  with  your  might  what 
your  hands  find  to  do  for  them.  But  why  should 
this  be  done  by  disparaging  the  claims  of  the  foreign 
field  ?  0  brethren,  if  I  could  show  you  what  I  have 
lately  seen, — the  numerous  openings  where  the 
gospel  may  be  preached,  the  unnumbered  thousands 
who  are  accessible  with  far  more  ease  than  the  scat- 
tered inhabitants  of  the  West,  the  fewness  and 
feebleness  of  the  labourers  sent  by  the  Chmxh, — and 
if  we  could  all  feel  that  these,  too,  are  our  brethren, 
seeing  God  hath  made  us  all  of  one  blood  to  dwell 
on  all  the  face  of  the  earth,  you  would  give  little 
heed  to  such  unworthy  comparisons.  If  the  church 
were  now  doing  all  in  her  powder;  if  every  nerve 
were  strained  as  much  as  the  gospel  requires,  then 
there  might  be  occasion  to  pause,  and  ask.  Are  we 
not  doing  too  much  here,  or  too  much  there  ?  But 
as  long  as  more  than  half  the  Church  is  doing 
nothing,  absolutely  nothing,  let  there  be  no  more 
complaints  that  too  much  is  done  for  the  heathen. 
I  object  to  the  papers  referred  to,  because  they  give 
countenance  to  the  idea,  that  the  interests  of  the 
foreign  and  domestic  fields  are  not  the  same.  If 
there  is  any  man  who  renounces  such  an  idea,  it  is 
the  missionary  to  the  heathen.  Our  hearts  rejoice 
19 


218  MEMOIR   OP   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

within  us  when  we  hear  of  the  extension  of  the 
cause  of  Christ  at  home,  and  that  the  gospel  is 
preached  to  the  poor  and  the  destitute.  Why? 
Not  only  because  of  the  amount  of  actual  good 
accomplished,  but  because  we  know  that  thus  new 
funds,  and  new  men,  are  raised  up  for  the  foreign 
field,  and  additional  prayers  ascend  on  our  behalf. 
Every  conquest  at  home  increases  our  strength 
abroad.  But  if  we  are  told  that  these  conquests 
are  to  be  gained  henceforth  by  diminishing  the 
efforts  abroad,  and  disparaging  the  importance  of 
the  work  in  which  we  are  engaged,  then  we  have 
small  reason  to  rejoice.  But  I  will  not  believe  that 
such  one-sided  views  shall  ever  gain  general  cur- 
rency among  those  who  see  and  know,  that  one  of 
the  surest  ways  to  promote  vital  piety  at  home,  is 
to  make  it  active  and  expansive;  so  that,  while  it 
rejoices  to  do  good  to  those  around,  it  embraces  the 
world  in  the  wide  arms  of  charity. 

I  observe  that  one  of  the  "standing  requests"  you 
propose  to  your  foreign  correspondents  is,  "  Can  you 
send  us  any  curiosities  ?"  To  this  I  answer,  "  Yes, 
plenty;  if  *I  had  the  money  to  buy  them  with." 
feuch  things  are  not  easily  to  be  procured  without 
paying  for'^them;  and  as  a  missionary's  salary  does 
not  commonly  give  him  a  great  deal  of  spending 
money  besides  his  necessary  expenses,  he  cannot 
easily  send  many  curiosities  to  all  who  would  hke 
to  have  them.  I  will,  however,  keep  my  eyes 
open,  and  endeavour  to  make  some  addition  to  your 
cabinet.  Allow  me  to  suggest  whether  it  would 
not  be  better  for  you  to  make  an  annual  appropria- 
tion of  ten,  twenty,  or  thirty  dollars,  and  request 
some  of  the  missionaries  to  procure  articles  for  your 
cabinet?  I  will  most  cheerfully  undertake  any  such 
commission  for  you,  and  will  procure  either  such 
articles  as  you  may  specify,  or  myself  select  such 
as  may  be  interesting.  There  will  be  no  difficulty 
in  remitting  the  money,  for  all  that  is  necessary  is 
to  pay  it   at  the   Mission   Rooms  in   New  York, 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  219 

stating  that  it  is  "for  curiosities,  &g.,  for  the  Semi- 
nary at  Princeton."  Have  you  a  set  of  the  Chinese 
Repository?  I  know  you  have  one  or  two  of  the 
volumes ;  but  it  is  very  desirable  that  you  have  the 
whole  set,  for  there  is  no  work,  ancient  or  modern, 
that  gives  so  much  information  concerning  China. 
If  you  will  give  me  instructions  to  that  effect,  and 
tell  me  what  volumes  you  have,  I  can  easily  pro- 
cure you  the  others.  There  are  now  twelve  volumes ; 
the  first  and  second  are  six  dollars  each,  and  the 
other  ten  three  dollars  each,  being  forty-two  dollars 
for  the  set.  It  is  continued  yearly  at  three  dollars 
a  year. 

I  must  now  bring  this  long  epistle  to  a  close. 
That  every  blessing  from  above  may  rest  upon  you, 
may  direct  your  future  course,  and  crown  your 
labours  with  success,  is  the  prayer  of  your  friend  and 
brother  in  the  gospel, 

W.   M.   LOWRIE. 


Macao,  December  30th,  1843. 

My  Dear  Father. — . . . .  The  principal  occurrence 
of  interest  during  the  month  has  been  some  rather 
public  discussions  of  the  visit  paid  by  Mr.  Abeel 
and  myself  to  Chang-Chowfoo.  After  my  return, 
Mr.  Bridgman  and  others  importuned  me  to  write 
an  account  of  it  for  the  Chinese  Repository.  I  de- 
clined at  first,  from  a  dislike  to  make  myself  so 
prominent  as  such  an  account  would  necessarily 
make  me.  Being  still  urged  I  consented,  and  Mr. 
Bridgman  and  myself  looked  over  it  carefully  to 
see  that  there  were  no  incorrect  statements;  and, 
not  to  offend  our  English  friends,  omitted  all  refer- 
ence to  the  manner  in  which  the  officers  at  Chang- 
Chow  spoke  of  Americans.  The  article  was  read 
with  interest,  and  among  others  an  English  officer 
of  some  influence  in  Hong  Kong  spoke  of  it  quite 
favourably.     Judge,  then,  of  my  surprise,  when  a 


220  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

few  days  afterwards  Sir  Henry  Pottinger  published 
a  proclamation  expressly  referring  to  it,  pointedly 
condemning  our  conduct,  and  informing  the  Chinese 
authorities  of  the  Pro\dnces  of  Canton  and  Fuhkeen, 
that  the  "party,  (fee,  were  Americans!"  This  ex- 
cited no  little  talk,  and  I  heard  many  persons  con- 
demn Sir  Henry's  course  as  impertinent  and  uncalled 
for,  though  I  found  that  the  insinuations  of  the  pro- 
clamation were  leaving  unfaA^ourable  impressions  as 
to  my  conduct.  I  accordingly  prepared  a  reply,  and 
sent  it  to  the  "  Friend  of  China."  A  cautious  friend 
in  Hong  Kong,  without  my  leave,  withdrew  the 
article.  When  he  gave  me  his  reasons,  I  did  not 
deem  them  sufficient.  I  could  not  see  how  a  plain 
and  manly  defence  of  one's  course  against  uncalled 
for  and  injurious  charges  was  improper.  I  consi- 
dered too  that  our  American  citizenship  and  freedom 
from  the  surveillance  of  English  authorities,  were 
important  circumstances  in  our  favor  in  carrying  on 
the  work  of  missions  here,  and  were  to  be  defended 
and  maintained.  Accordingly  I  wrote  another  arti- 
cle, which  appeared  this  w^eek  in  the  Friend  of 
China. 

In  consequence  of  Sir  Henry's  letter  to  the  gover- 
nor of  Canton,  the  latter  addressed  a  letter  to  the 
American  consul,  informing  him  of  the  affair,  and 
urging  him  to  enforce  on  his  countrymen  the  neces- 
sity of  obedience  to  the  treaty.  Mr.  Forbes  wrote 
back  that  his  countrymen  Avould  always  obey  the 
laws  when  made  known ;  but  that  when  we  went  to 
Chang-Chow,  the  supplementary  treaty  was  not 
knoAvn  to  us.  He  also  wrote  me  a  very  gentle- 
manly letter,  more,  I  suppose,  as  a  matter  of  form 
than  anything  else,  informing  me  of  the  communica- 
tion of  the  governor  of  Canton. 

The  notoriety  attending  this  affair  has  been  not 
a  little  unpleasant  and  annoying  to  me,  but  I  do  not 
feel  that  I  have  done  anything  to  be  ashamed  of.  I 
suppose  it  is  to  be  considered  as  one  of  the  neces- 
sary trials  of  this  state  of  warfare,  and  a  w^holesome 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  221 

discipline  to  prepare  me  for  future  trials.     Pray  for 
me  that  I  may  have  wisdom  and  prudence  to  guide 

me  in  all  my  ways 

Your  affectionate  son, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE.       \ 


CHAPTER  V. 

1844. 


Residence  in  Macao — Letters — Chinese  Printing  with  Metal  Type — 
Arrival  of  New  Missionaries — Their  Fields  of  Labour. 

During  the  year  1844,  the  missionary  force  in 
China  was  much  enlarged.  In  February,  D.  B. 
McCartee,  M.D.,  and  Mr.  R.  Cole,  printer,  and  his 
wife,  reached  China.  The  Rev.  R.  Q.  Way  and  his 
wife  arrived  in  July,  and  the  Rev.  Messrs.  J.  Lloyd, 
A.  P.  Happer,  M.D.,  A.  W.  Loomis,  and  M.  S.  Cul- 
bertson,  with  Mrs.  Loomis  and  Mrs.  Culbertson,  in 
October. 

The  location  of  these  brethren  at  the  different 
missions,  was  a  subject  of  much  importance,  and  of 
some  delicacy.  In  relation  to  it,  the  officers  of  the 
Board  had  conversed  freely  with  the  new  mission- 
aries, after  which,  with  some  general  suggestions 
from  the  Executive  Committee,  the  matter  was  left 
to  their  own  decision.  Though  younger  than  some 
of  his  colleagues,  yet  as  the  missionary  longest  in 
China,  much  of  the  responsibility  rested  on  Mr. 
Lowrie;  and  until  their  respective  missions  Avere 
fixed,  it  was  to  him  a  time  of  much  anxiety  and 
care.  After  a  season  of  prayer  for  Divine  direc- 
tion, with  much  harmony  they  arranged  their  places 
at  the  different  missions.  At  Canton  were  settled 
Mr.  Happer,  and  for  the  present,  Mr.  Cole,  with  the 
press ;  at  Amoy,  Mr.  Lloyd  and  Dr.  Hepburn^  who 

19^ 


222  IMEMOIR   OF    WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  * 

were  to  be  joined  by  the  Rev.  H.  A.  Brown,  when 
he  should  arrive ;  at  Ningpo,  Mr.  Lowrie,  Mr.  Way, 
Mr.  Culbertson,  Mr.  Loomis,  and  Dr.  McCartee. 
This  arrangement  involved  the  separation  of  two 
friends,  Messrs.  Lloyd  and  Low^rie,  and  most  deeply 
w^as  it  felt  by  both.  Both  were  convinced,  however, 
that  the  interests  of  the  Master's  cause  required 
this  trial,  keen  as  it  w^as,  and  after  a  short  inter- 
view of  two  weeks,  the}^  parted  to  meet  no  more  on 
earth. 

The  printing  press  and  the  Chinese  matrices  were 
received  in  February,  w^hen  Mr.  Cole  arrived.  The 
theory  of  printing  the  Chinese  language  w^th  metal 
type — a  large  portion  of  them  being  divisible  cha- 
racters— was  to  be  reduced  to  practice,  and  tested 
by  actual  experiment.  The  type  w^ere  to  be  cast, 
and  four  thousand  different  characters  were  to  be 
arranged  in  cases  for  the  compositor.  To  be  con- 
venient, the  characters  most  frequently  used  re- 
quired to  be  placed  together,  whilst  regard  was  to 
be  had  to  the  principles  of  the  language,  as  arranged 
under  the  different  radicals  or  keys.  Mr.  Cole  was 
experienced  in  English  printing,  but  he  had  no 
knowledge  of  Chinese,  and  the  entire  arrangement 
of  the  Chinese  characters  devolved  on  Mr.  Lowrie. 
Everything  was  new.  Some  of  the  characters  occur 
very  rarely,  others  occur  repeatedly  on  every  page ; 
hence  some  approximation  of  the  relative  number  of 
each  had  to  be  made,  before  the  type  could  be  cast, 
and  the  difficulty  of  this  work  was  increased  by  a 
large  part  of  them  being  divisible.  After  months  of 
labour,  these  difficult  matters  were  accomplished,  and 
the  x^ress  w^ent  into  successful  operation  in  June. 

Besides  attention  to  the  press,  much  of  his  time 
was  required  on  behalf  of  the  other  missionaries. 
He  was  their  general  treasurer.  He  was  in  a  mea- 
sure at  home;  they  were  in  a  strange  place;  theu- 
business  affairs  necessarily  feU  to  his  share,  and  his 
services  were  of  much  benefit  to  them.  His  corres- 
pondence with  the  Mission  House  was  also  very  fuU. 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  223 

Much  to  his  regret,  these  various  items  greatly 
interfered  with  his  Chinese  studies. 

During  this  year,  Mr.  Lowrie  prepared  a  series 
of  articles  on  the  history  of  the  missionary  work  in 
China,  with  a  brief  account  of  the  Jews  and  Chris- 
tians in  China,  which  were  published  in  the  Chinese 
Repository.  They  were  afterwards  reprinted  in  the 
United  States,  under  the  title  of  the  Land  of  Sinim, 
or  an  exposition  of  Isaiah  xlix.  12. 

Dr.  McCartee  left  Macao  for  Mngpo  in  June,  and 
Mr.  Way  and  his  wife  in  August.  Mr.  Lloyd  left 
for  Amoy  in  November.  Owing  to  the  north-east 
monsoon,  the  other  missionaries  for  Ningpo  did  not 
set  out  till  the  February  following. 


Macao y  January  18th,  1844. 
My  Dear  Mother — This  day  finishes  two  years 
since  I  left  the  United  States.  I  know  not  how  the 
time  has  seemed  to  you,  but  to  me  it  appears  under 
a  very  singular  aspect.  It  has  gone  so  rapidly  that 
I  can  scarce  conceive  so  much  nas  really  elapsed ; 
and  yet  it  has  led  me  through  so  many  strange 
scenes,  that  I  can  scarcely  crowd  them  all  into  it. 
I  like  to  look  back  occasionally,  for  the  immediate 
effects  of  all  I  have  seen  have  passed  aAvay,  and 
they  come  up  before  me  quietly  and  calmly  to  be 
thought  about.  I  try  to  look  forAvard,  but  in  vain, 
for  I  know  not  what  a  day  may  bring  forth.  I  am 
just  as  uncertain  as  I  was  two  years  ago,  where  my 
lot  shall  yet  be  cast,  or  whether  I  shall  ever  find  a 
"place  of  rest."  It  is  not  an  easy  thing  to  learn  to 
live  by  the  day,  or  in  "patience  to  possess  one's 
soul."  I  want  to  be  moving,  to  be  doing  something, 
to  see  results;  but  my  mouth  is  closed,  and  at 
present  my  feet  are  bound.  Sometimes  it  is,  "  Oh, 
that  I  had  wings  like  a  dove,  for  then  would  I  fly 
away ;"  but  then  again  the  word  comes,  "  The  hus- 
bandman hath  long  patience."     This  is  a  trial  of 


224  MEMOIR  OF  WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

missionary  life  that  did  not  at  first  enter  much  into 
my  thoughts,  its  comparative  inaction.  I  am  busy 
as  I  can  well  be,  yet  my  life  is  as  quiet  as  it  was  in 
the  Seminary,  and  I  see  even  less  of  company.  It 
is  nearly  three  weeks  since  I  have  spoken  to  a  lady, 
and  it  is  three  months  since  I  have  spent  a  day  in 
a  house  with  one.  So  we  pass  away.  We  are 
strangers  here,  at  one  time  walking  in  the  crowded 
streets,  and  at  another  threading  the  wilderness  path 
alone,  but  ever  pressing  on  to  the  end  of  our  course. 
Shall  it  be  long  or  short?  painful  or  pleasant?  But 
these  are  not  the  questions  for  us  to  ask.  It  is 
ours  to  take  no  thought  for  the  morrow. 

January  19.  As  clear  and  bright  a  day  as  it  was 
two  years  ago,  but  a  good  deal  warmer.  After 
reading  a  page  or  so  in  the  San  Ko  Che,  or  History 
of  the  Three  States,  I  started  off  about  eleven 
o'clock,  with  my  teacher,  to  visit  the  temple  of  Wa- 
kok.  (I  wrote  a  description  of  it  some  time  ago  for 
the  Foreign  Missionary.)  I  had  been  there  often, 
but  wanted  my  teacher  to  explain  some  things 
which  I  did  not  understand.  As  you  may  suppose, 
I  talk  with  him  in  very  broken  language,  and  can 
understand  only  a  part  of  what  he  says,  but  we 
make  out  to  talk  a  good  deal  together.  I  think  I 
can  see  his  respect  for  the  superstitions  of  his  own 
country  perceptibly  decreasing,  though  I  fear  that 
it  is  only  to  make  way  for  an  indifference  to  religion 
that  is  CA^en  worse.  A  couple  of  well-dressed  and 
respectable-looking  men  were  bowing  and  kneeling, 
lighting  incense-sticks,  and  burning  paper  before  tlie 
images.  He  said  they  were  praying  for  wealth ; 
but  he  acknowledged  that  the  images  could  not  hear 
them.  They  went  to  several  of  tlie  images,  and  as 
they  went  to  each  one,  an  attendant  struck  the  bell 
and  the  drum  several  times.  I  asked  him  what 
that  was  for?  He  said,  to  "rouse  the  attention  of 
the  idol,  and  make  her  hear !"  I  asked  him  what 
sort  of  gods  these  were,  when  it  was  necessary  to 
awaken  them  to  make  them  listen  to  their  worship- 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  225 

pers  ?  He  said,  with  a  good  deal  of  earnestness,  "I 
don't  worship  these ;  I  worship  only  the  spirit  that 
is  represented  by  them."  However,  he  acknow- 
ledged that  most  of  the  people  worshipped  the  idol. 
He  then  asked  me,  if  we  used  no  images  of  Jesus 
Christ.  I  said,  no;  that  the  Roman  Catholics  used 
a  crucifix,  but  that  I  thought  this  wrong,  and  that 
it  was  folly  to  worship  any  image.  ''It  had  eyes, 
but  could  not  see ;  ears,  but  could  not  hear ;  nose, 
but  could  not  smell;  feet,  but  could  not  walk."  It 
is  just  so  here.  0  that  he  were  a  Christian !  He 
is  a  very  amiable  man,  a  man  of  some  learning,  and 
simple-minded,  and  might  do  great  good  if  converted. 
I  like  him  far  better  than  any  teacher  I  have  yet 
had,  and  he  seems  very  well  satisfied  to  stay  with 
me;  though  he  does  get  tired  sometimes,  when  I 
ply  him  with  questions,  and  keep  him  sitting  by  me 
for  three  or  four  hours  together.  I  told  him  the 
other  day,  that  in  the  United  States  we  elected  our 
own  Hwang  Bhang  and  Tsiing  Tuk,  "  Emperor  and 
Viceroys."  (The  Chinese  have  no  word  correspond- 
ing to  President  and  Governors.)  I  think  I  never 
saw  a  man  so  astonished.  He  held  up  both  hands, 
and  stared  at  me,  and  at  last  exclaimed,  "  Hi  3^ah ! 
Astonishing !  I  never  heard  of  such  a  thing !"  He 
said  at  first  it  was  a  very  bad  plan,  for  the  people 
would  be  always  fighting.  But  after  I  had  shown 
him  that  in  this  way  we  secured  the  election  of  just 
officers,  and  men  who  would  not  oppress  us,  while 
their  officers,  according  to  his  own  acknowledgment, 
were  extremely  venal  and  extortionate,  he  said, 
"Well,  perhaps  it  may  be  good  for  you,  but  I  am 
sure  it  would  not  be  possible  to  do  so  here ;"  which  is 
very  true.  It  is  wonderful  how  ignorant  the  Chinese 
learned  men  are.  I  believe  he  looks  on  me  as  a  sort 
of  Baron  Munchausen,  though  I  have  told  him  very 
little  that  is  not  known  to  every  school-boy  in  the 

United  States 

Hoping  to  hear  from  you  soon,  I  remain,  as  ever, 
xoui's  affectionately,  W.  M.  Lowrie. 


226  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

Macao,  February  Ist,  1844. 

My  Dear  Father — It  seems  to  me,  the  more  I 
think  about  the  matter,  that  there  ^  must  be  a 
radical  change  in  the  literature  and  literary  style 
of  China,  before  it  can  be  made  the  vehicle  of 
permanent  and  extensive  usefulness.  A  great 
deal  is  said  of  the  fact,  that  so  many  in  China 
can  read,  but  it  is  to  be  feared  that  a  great  deal 
too  much  is  expected  from  this.  Thek  literature 
at  present,  and  the  style  in  which  it  is  written,  re- 
minds me  very  much  of  the  state  of  Europe  before 
the  Reformation.  There  were  learned  men  then, 
and  they  had  a  learned  language,  different  from  that 
of  every-day  hfe,  which  the  common  people  did  not 
understand.  This  learned  language  was  known  to 
the  learned  all  over  Europe,  and  even  some  of  the 
poorer  class  could  read  it,  for  the  alphabet  was  the 
same  in  most  places ;  but  thei/  did  not  understand 
w^hat  they  read,  and  of  those  who  did  understand, 
and  wrote  in  the  learned  language,  the^  less  that  is 
said  the  better.  Who  reads  then'  writings  now,  or 
cares  for  their  opinions  ?  A  new  mode  of  thinking, 
and  speaking,  and  writing  was  introduced  after  the 
Reformation,  and  the  old  has  disappeared.  Very 
much  the  same  revolution,  in  my  humble  judgment, 
must  occur  in  China.  They  have  a  learned  language 
here,  and  unless  a  book  be  written  in  that  language, 
it  has  little  favour.  That  language  may  be  learned 
by  many  years  of  study,  but  it  is  not  the  language 
of  the  people,  nor  of  nature.  Many  who  can  pro- 
nounce the  characters  do  not  understand  them ;  and 
the  world  will  be  never  the  worse,  if  nine-tenths  of 
the  books  at  present  in  cumulation  here  be  lost  for 
ever.  Some  Chinese  Bacon  must  arise,  and  do  for 
China  what  Lord  Verulam  did  for  Europe. 

I  speak  with  a  good  deal  of  diffidence  on  these 
points,  for  I  am  only  forming  my  own  opinion  about 
them,  and  others  who  ought  to  know  more  think 
differently.    I  am,  however,  very  far  from  supposing 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  227 

that  the  Chinese  styles,  either  of  printing,  or  speak- 
ing, or  writing,  or  acting,  are  always  the  most  taste- 
ful, or  the  most  convenient,  or  the  most  practically 
useful.  In  general  I  think  them  very  much  like 
their  thick-soled  shoes,  which  my  teacher  says  "  are 
very  good-looking,  but  not  so  good  to  walk  with." 
There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  truth  of  the  latter 
part  of  this  remark,  while  each  one  must  judge  for 
himself  of  the  good  looks. 

....  I  send  you  my  Liiban  zvaUcing-stick,  which 
you  must  take  good  care  of,  though  i  hope  it  will 
be  long  before  you  need  to  use  it.  I  do  not  want 
to  use  it  myself,  for  it  might  get  broken  or  be  lost, 
and  therefore,  for  safe-keeping,  I  will  put  it  in  your 
hands. 

That  every  blessing  may  ever  rest  upon  you  is 
the  prayer  of 

Your  affectionate  son, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Macao.,  February  10th,  1844. 

Rev.  John  Lloyd — My  Dear  John: —  .  .  .  How 
it  made  my  heart  beat  to  think  that  this  year  I  may 
see  you  here  !  I  fell  into  a  reverie  just  now,  and 
thought  I  was  walking  along  the  beach  and  you 
landed.  What  a  shaking  of  hands  and  an  embra- 
cing there  was !  Then  I  began  to  ask  you  questions ; 
but  though  you  talked  fast,  you  did  not  talk  half 
fast  enough  to  satisfy  me.  .  .  . 

Many  thanks  for  your  long,  kind  letter.  It  is 
the  second  I  have  received,  and  I  hope  I  may  have 
another  soon.  I  am  glad  my  journal  gave  you  so 
much  pleasure. 

How  many  things  we  shall  have  to  say  to  each 
other  when  you  come.  Yet  sometimes  1  fear  we 
shall  not  be  allowed  to  meet ;  or  if  we  meet,  shall 
have  to  part  again  5  and  I  feel  as  though  I  ought 


228  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

not  to  hope  for  too  much.  How  often  we  are  dis- 
appomted  in  the  very  place  where  we  expected 
most !  I  have  learned  some  deeply  painful  lessons 
since  I  came  here,  though  not  more  painful  than 
needed. 

Why  do  you  give  way  so  much  to  melancholy 
forebodings  f 

«'  Why  should  the  children  of  a  king 
Go  mourning  all  their  days?" 

Our  gracious  Father  has  now  led  you  along  for 
more  than  nine  years,  and  are  you  still  afraid  to 
trust  him?  How  much  would  you  and  I  have 
given,  nine  years  ago,  to  be  told  we  should  perse- 
vere till  now !  yet  here  we  are.  Thus  far  the  Lord 
hath  led  us  on,  and  will  not  he  whose  hand  has 
ever  been  around  us  still  lead  us  ?  Can  he  not 
take  as  much  care  of  us  hereafter,  as  he  has  hitherto 
done  ?  I  knoAv,  would  that  I  felt  it  more,  that  at 
best  we  are  very  unprofitable  servants ;  but  can  we 
ever  repay  God  for  his  mercies  ?  must  we  not  at 
last  ente/  heaven  in  the  righteousness  of  another  ? 
Oh,  let  us  look  to  Christ,  in  whom  is  all  our  strength 
and  hope ;  and  while  we  labour,  never  forget  that 
we  are  accepted,  not  in  our  own  works,  but  in  the 
Beloved. 

I  am  very  well,  very  busy,  and  commonly  very 
happy.  Chinese  is  beoinning  to  look  inviting,  and 
many  a  hearty  laugh  I  have  with  my  Chinese  teach- 
er. He  does  not  speak  a  word  of  EngHsh,  and  my 
Chinese  is  broken  enough ;  but  we  make  out  pretty 
well  on  a  good  many  points.  Do  not  be  afraid  of 
this  language.    It  is  hard  enough,  hut  can  he  learned. 

Give  my  kindest  regards  to  Brown  and  Culbert- 
son,  whom  I  expect  to  see  with  you  before  this 
year  rolls  away.  The  sooner  you  come  the  better, 
for  I  suppose  1  must  be  unsettled  till  you  all  come 
out,  and  I  am  getting  tired  of  that ;  so  be  in  a 
hurry. 

It  is  nearly  ten  o'clock.     My  hand  is  so  tired, 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  229 

that  I  can  scarcely  write  legibly,  and  if  I  had  five 
hundred  things  to  say,  they  would  have  to  stay 
unsaid.  .  .  . 

Commending  you  to  God  and  the  word  of  his 
grace,  which  is  able  to  build  you  up  and  keep  you 
until  the  appearing  of  our  Lord,  I  am  as  ever  your 
brother  in  Christ, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Ilacao,  May  14th,  1844. 
My  Dear  Father —  ....  My  letters  to  the  com- 
mittee will  have  shown  you  how  often  I  am  em- 
barrassed and  at  a  loss  how  to  decide  the  various 
important   questions    occurring   here.     /  wish  you 
would  come  out  here;  you  will  find  enough  to  call  into 
exercise  all  your  experience.     You  may  lay  the 
foundations  of  this  mission  on  a  better  basis  than  we 
who  are  here  can  do.     My  wish  is  to  be  prudent 
and  thoughtful,  and  to  do  all  for  the  best ;  but  I  am 
young   and   inexperienced,  yet   I   have   more    ex- 
perience of  the  Chinese  than  an}^  of  my  colleagues. 
I  have  no  disposition  to  decline  responsibility,  and 
have  frequently  to  take  more  than  my  share.    What 
can  we  do  ?     There  are  things  which  must  be  done, 
and  our  fears  are  that  they  may  not  be  done  in  the 
best  way.     You  are  not  yet  sixty  years   old,  yet 
Ricci  was  fifty  when  he  came  to   China ;  and  you 
have  had  ten  years  of  thought  about  this  country, 
and  are  younger  in  constitution  than  most  men  of 
the  same  age.     Your  coming  might  do  more  good 
than  for  twenty  boys  to  go  abroad  before  their  con- 
stitutions are  settled,  and  who  may  die  before  they 
come  to  their  prime.     It  often  seems  to  me  that  we 
are  commencing  at  the  top  instead  of  the  bottom, 
when  we  lay  light  and  untried  materials  in  the  foun- 
dation. If  you  can  come  for  life  so  much  the  better, 
but  at  any  rate  come  iox  five  years.     Live  here  and 

20 


230  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    L0A\TIIE. 

spy  out  the  land.  I  have  not  made  this  request  in 
a  spirit  of  levity,  but  after  a  good  deal  of  thought 
and  prayer.  I  know  how  important  your  presence 
is  at  head-quarters,  and  I  know  you  will  consider 
the  matter  calmly.  God  will  direct  you;  and  for 
myself,  I  will  remember  what  the  old  farmer  said, 
"I  can't  go  with  you,  but  God  Almighty  w^ill." 

My  teacher  w^as  reading  the  New  Testament  to- 
day, when  he  observed,  "•  This  Jesus  must  have  been 
a  very  benevolent  man.  How  kind  it  was  in  him 
to  heal  those  sick  people,  and  to  provide  them  food 
wdien  they  were  hungry !  Truly  he  was  a  good 
man."  '^  Yes,"  I  observed,  ''he  was  all  you  say, 
and  far  more,  for  he  was  God  as  well  as  man,  and 
came  from  heaven  to  save  sinful  men,  and  without 
him  no  man  in  the  world  can  be  saved."  "What!" 
said  he,  "  can  none  be  saved  in  China  without  him  ?" 
"No,  not  one."  "Do  you  beheve  this?"  he  asked. 
"Yes,  most  certainly;  and  I  have  left  my  father 
and  mother,  to  come  to  China  to  tell  you  of  this 
blessed  Saviour."  "And  how  long  has  this  been 
known  to  the  Western  nations  ?"  "  0,  a  great  many 
hundred  years."  "  Why,  then,"  said  he,  "  was  not 
this  knowledge  sent  sooner  to  China  ?"....  — A 
solemn  question  for  every  Christian.  .  .  . 

I  am  your  affectionate  son, 

W.    M.    LOWRIE. 


RECOLLECTIONS    OF   A    IMISSIONARY. NO.    I. 

— It  was  a  very  hot  day  in  August,  184-  and  I 
was  lying  on  a  couch,  suffering  from  debility  induced 
by  the  heat  of  a  tropical  summer.  While  thus  re- 
clining, the  physician  of  the  place,  a  serious  and 
moral  man,  but  at  that  time  making  no  profession 
of  piety,  called  to  see  me.  He  said  he  had  a  patient 
recently  brought  from  a  neighbouring  city,  and  dan- 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  231 

gerously  ill  of  a  disecose  at  that  time  prevailing,  who 
expressed  a  wish  to  see  an  evangelical  clergyman; 
and  that  he,  (the  physician,)  would  be  much  pleased 
if  I  would  call  on  liim.  I  went  immediately,  and 
on  being  shown  into  the  sick  room,  found  a  young 
looking  man,  who  held  out  his  hand  and  expressed 
much  gratification  that  I  had  called.  His  Bible  was 
lying  on  a  chair  at  his  bedside,  and  it  was  not  many 
minutes  before  he  had  told  me  fully  and  frankly  his 
state  and  feelings.  He  was  the  son  of  a  pious  man, 
who  had  done  much  for  the  cause  of  missions  in  his 
own  land.  He  himself  had  united  with  the  Church 
in  his  youth,  and  for  several  years  maintained  a 
fair  character,  and  thought  himself  a  Christian.  Of 
late,  however,  and  especially  since  coming  to  this 
heathen  land,  he  had  greatly  backslidden,  and  as  he 
said,  had  so  far  forgotten  his  profession  as  to  fall 
into  open  sin.  While  in  this  state  he  was  attacked 
Avith  a  disease  which  had  already  proved  fatal  to 
several  persons;  and  though  there  was  at  first 
nothing  very  alarming  in  his  own  case,  yet  it  had 
aroused  him  to  think  on  his  ways,  and  the  Spirit  of 
God  seemed  to  have  brought  his  sins  strongly  to  his 
remembrance. 

When  I  saw  him  he  was  in  great  distress,  fearing 
lest  he  had  committed  the  unpardonable  sin,  and 
that  there  coukl  be  no  hope  for  him.  A  few  minutes' 
conversation  showed  that  the  instructions  of  his 
excellent  father  had  sunk  deep  into  his  heart,  and 
that  he  was  tolerably  well  acquainted  with  the  doc- 
trines of  religion,  so  that  it  was  an  easy  and  a  plea- 
sant duty  to  give  him  the  instructions  his  case 
required.  Doubtless  there  are  those  in  our  days 
who  commit  a  sin  for  which  there  is  no  repentance, 
and  for  which  we  are  not  commanded  to  pray ;  but 
there  was  no  evidence  that  such  was  his  case,  and 
on  this  point  his  mind  was  relieved.  He  feared, 
however,  that  he  was  not  one  of  the  elect; — could 
there  be  hope  for  him  ?  I  told  him  my  belief  in  the 
doctrine  of  election  was  as  firm  as  my  belief  in  my 


232  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER  M.   LOWRIE. 

own  existence,  but  God's  secret  decrees  were  not 
the  rule  of  our  faith  and  practice.  Repent  and 
believe,  and  be  saved;  let  him  make  his  calling 
sure,  and  the  question  of  his  election  need  not 
trouble  his  mind.  To  this  he  freely  assented,  and 
then  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  and  the  utmost  earnest- 
ness, asked  if  I  thought  it  possible  God  could  or 
would  forgive  so  vile  a  backslider  as  himself. 
Taking  up  "his  Bible,  I  opened  it  at  the  beautiful 
passage  in  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  Hosea :  "  Take 
w^ith  you  words  and  turn  unto  the  Lord :  say  unto 
him.  Take  away  all  iniquity,  and  receive  us  gra- 
ciously, &c.,"  and  read  and  explained  the  whole 
chapter.  Never  did  it  appear  so  rich  and  precious 
to  my  own  soul,  and  the  sick  man  heard  it  w^ith 
entranced  attention.  When  it  was  finished,  he 
exclaimed,  "What  precious  words  those  are!  Will 
you  not  pray  with  me  ?"  After  pra3^er,  and  a  little 
further  conversation,  I  left  him^  promising  to  see 
him  again  in  the  evening. 

About  sunset  I  called  again,  and  found  his  dis- 
order making  rapid  progress,  so  that  occasionally  he 
seemed  to  be  w^andering  in  mind.  But  his  thoughts 
were  on  his  soul's  concerns,  and  towards  Christ; 
his  mind  was  calmer  than  wdien  I  first  saw  him,  and 
though  he  expressed  much  fear  of  death,  yet  he 
seemed  to  apprehend  fully  that  the  grace  of  Christ 
w^as  his  only  refuge,  and  I  could  not  but  hope  that 
his  faith  was  fixed  on  the  Saviour;  and  with  a 
mind  much  lightened  in  regard  to  him,  I  returned 
to  my  room.  ^  The  exposure  and  exertions  of  the 
day  in  my  weak  state  were  too  much  for  me,  and  a 
sleepless  night  left  me  with  but  little  strength  in 
the  morning.  As  the  day  proved  stormy,  it  seemed 
imprudent  to  venture  out,  and  accordingly  I  wrote 
a  note  to  the  physician,  requesting  him  to  inform 
me  if  his  patient  should  wish  for  me,  as  otherwise  I 
could  scarcely  leave  the  house.  The  kind-hearted 
physician  himself  had  some  conversation  with  him, 
and  finding  him  in  the  intervals  of  his  delirium,  to 


]MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  233 

be  much  more  peaceful,  and  apparently  hopeful,  did 
not  send  for  me.  He  died  in  the  night,  and  when 
I  called  early  the  next  morning  I  found  him  laid 
out,  with  an  expression  of  comitenance  like  one  who 
had  gone  in  peace. 

Among  strangers,  we  buried  him  in  a  stranger's 
grave;  for  excepting  the  physician  and  myself, 
there  were  none  in  the  place  who  knew  him.  He 
had  but  recently  arrived  in  this  country,  and  as  we 
found  in  a  day  or  two  after,  his  partner  died  of  the 
same  disease  on  the  same  day. 

Soon  after  his  death  I  wrote  to  his  mother,  his 
father  being  dead,  an  account  of  his  last  moments, 
and  of  the  hope  I  had  that  "  the  root  of  the  matter 
was  found  in  him."  Several  months  passed  away, 
and  amidst  other  events  the  above  was  almost  for- 
gotten, when  one  day  a  small  package  from  a  dis- 
tant land  came  into  my  hands.  It  contained  a  beau- 
tiful copy  of  the  Memoir  of  McCheyne,  and  a  note 
breathing  "the  most  heartfelt  gratitude,"  and  the 
assurance  of  "  earnest  and  constant  prayer  for  my 
welfare."  For  some  reason  unknown  to  me,  the 
writer  wished  to  be  unknown ;  but  I  could  not  avoid 
associating  her,  (for  it  was  a  lady's  hand,)  with  the 
person  spoken  of  above.  Is  it  not  true  that  bread 
cast  upon  the  waters  is  found  after  many  days — and 
that  often  in  a  way  not  anticipated  ?  The  parents 
of  that  young  man  '^  bestowed  much  labour'  in  for- 
warding the  cause  of  missions,  and  the  dying  hours 
of  their  son  v/ere  cheered  and  consoled  in  a  strange 
land  by  a  missionary  of  a  different  country,  and  a 
different  denomination.  I  went  in  weakness  to  visit 
him,  without  a  thought  of  reward,  but  how  often 
has  the  thought  cheered  me  since,  that  in  a  distant 
land  there  is  one  or  more  whom  I  have  never  seen, 
whose  fervent  prayers  are  offered  up  on  my  behalf! 
20* 


234  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 


RECOLLECTIONS   OF   A   MISSIONARY. NO.  II. 

In  December,  184~,  I  was  requested  to  visit  a 
dying  ship  captain.  This  was  Saturday  evening. 
I  went  immediately,  and  on  entering  the  house 
where  he  lay,  found  an  elderly  man  in  the  last 
stages  of  consumption.  He  was  a  pious  man,  and 
amidst  all  the  temptations  and  annoyances  to  which 
such  persons  in  his  situation  are  exposed,  had  in 
good  measure  kept  himself  free  from  reproach,  and 
had  made  his  ship  a  house  of  God  upon  the  sea.  Of 
late  he  had  been  quite  unwell,  and  was  brought 
ashore  to  the  house  of  the  consignee  of  his  ship, 
where  it  is  to  be  feared  there  was  little  care  or 
respect  for  rehgion.  Being  a  stranger,  he  did  not 
know  there  were  any  missionaries  in  the  place,  and 
it  was  not  till  this  day  that  he  was  informed  that 
there  were.  One  of  the  boys  from  his  ship  was 
attending  him  with  the  faithfulness  of  a  son ;  and 
finding  that  he  was  drawing  near  his  end,  informed 
him  that  I  was  residing  not  far  off,  and  had  me 
sent  for. 

He  was  not  able  to  bear  much  conversation :  but 
the  little  I  had  was  satisfactory,  and  he  appeared 
exceedingly  grateful  to  have  met  a  fellow-behever 
to  speak  with  him  in  his  last  hours.  After  prayer 
I  left  him,  promising  to  call  again.  The  next  after- 
noon, while  administering  the  Lord's  Supper  to  the 
little  band  of  fellow-labourers,  and  fellow-Christians 
in  that  place,  I  received  a  hasty  summons  to  see 
him.  On  going  to  the  house,  I  found  the  yard  just 
before  his  window  filled  with  native  workmen,  in 
the  employ  of  the  Christian  owner  of  the  house, 
busily  packing  and  nailing  boxes  for  a  ship's  caroo ! 
Passing  through  the  crowd,  so  unseemly  on  such  a 
day,  and  in  such  a  place,  I  went  to  the  sick  man's 
room,  but  found  him  nearly  speechless.  He  knew 
me,  grasped  me  by  the  hand,  and  to  my  inquiries 
as  to  the  state  of  his  soul,  gave  me  to  understand, 
though  more  by  looks  than  by  w^ords,  that  all  was 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  235 

well  within.  After  a  short  prayer  he  fell  into  a 
doze,  from  which  he  did  not  again  return  to  con- 
sciousness, and  in  a  few  hours  his  spirit  departed. 
To  him  I  have  no  reason  to  doubt  heaven  was  as 
near  even  in  that  land  of  strangers  and  heathenism, 
as  though  he  had  died  among  his  friends.  The 
next  day  he  was  buried.  A  part  of  the  ship's  crew, 
one  or  two  of  the  merchants  of  the  place,  and  myself, 
were  the  only  spectators ;  and  few  or  none  of  those 
who  noAv  read  the  inscription  over  his  tomb,  in  the 
field  that  was  "bought  to  bury  strangers  in,"  have 
any  knowledge  of  the  person  who  sleeps  beneath. 
Many  such  graves  are  there,  for  many  have  come 
from  far  distant  lands  to  rest  there. 

"  He  that  watereth  others  shall  be  watered  him- 
self;" and  in  the  pleasure  that  this  event  afforded 
me,  I  found  the  first  mitigation  of  one  of  the  greatest 
sorrows  that  a  gracious  God  has  ever  been  pleased 
to  lay  upon  me. 

At  another  time  I  was  called  to  visit  another  ship 
captain,  but  my  memory  recalls  few  of  the  circum- 
stances connected  with  the  occasion,  except  the  fol- 
lowing :  After  his  decease,  at  his  request,  a  sum  of 
money,  amounting  to  about  twenty  dollars,  was  put 
into  my  hands  for  any  charitable  purpose  to  which 
I  might  choose  to  apply  it.  On  the  very  day  it  was 
received,  a  poor  heathen  woman,  one  of  whose  sons 
had  been  of  some  service  to  a  fellow-missionary, 
came  to  me  to  beg  for  assistance  in  the  case  of  ano- 
ther son,  who  was  afflicted  with  the  leprosy.  She 
was  in  great  distress :  for  the  neighbours,  apprehen- 
sive of  catching  the  disease,  had  told  her  she  must 
either  place  him  in  the  hospital  for  such  cases,  or 
else  leave  her  house,  and  seek  another  abode.  She 
was  poor,  and  knew  not  where  else  to  find  a  house, 
and  to  place  him  in  the  hospital  required  an  admis- 
sion fee  of  twenty  dollars,  a  sum  she  could  not  hope 
to  borrow,  nor  to  earn  for  many  months.  It  seemed 
a  providence  :   the  money  just  sent  was  at  once 


236  MEMOIR    OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

placed  at  her  disposal,  and  with  a  light  heart  she 
went  on  her  way  rejoicing. 

But  a  few  weeks  before  leaving  the  place  where 
I  had  been  residing  for  more  than  two  years,  I  was 
requested  to  visit  another  ship  captain,  who  had 
been  brought  ashore  with  a  dangerous  illness,  and 
was  supposed  to  be  near  his  end.  Unlike  the  one 
mentioned  in  the  first  part  of  this  paper,  the  owner 
of  this  house  w^as  seriously  disposed,  and  had  not 
only  spoken  faithfully  to  the  sick  man  himself,  but 
induced  him  to  send  for  a  clergyman.  On  being 
shoAvn  into  his  room,  he  seemed  very  glad  to  see 
me ;  but  I  was  painfully  impressed  with  the  eager- 
ness he  expressed  for  '^comfort."  He  was  a  well- 
educated,  intelligent  man,  and  had  thought  some  for 
himself;  but  I  was  sorry  to  find,  was  quite  skepti- 
cally disposed.  He  could  not  believe  that  mankind 
were  so  bad  as  clergymen  commonly  thought  they 
were.  He  could  scarcely  believe  that  the  Son  of 
God  had  come  down  to  suffer  for  the  inhabitants  of 
this  petty  world,  which  was,  in  the  greatness  of  the 
universe,  "  but  as  a  single  leaf  in  the  forest."  Sur- 
prised at  these  remarks,  I  asked  if  he  was  not  a 
believer  in  revelation.  ''Oh  yes,"  said  he;  ''yes, 
but  sometimes  these  thoughts  will  come  into  my 
mind."  I  besought  him  to  exchange  these  thoughts 
for  others  better  suited  to  his  situation,  and  after 
some  further  conversation  and  pra3^er,  left  him  with 
my  mind  ill  at  ease;  for  all  his  anxieties  seemed  to 
be  for  comfort,  and  none  for  pardon  and  reconcilia- 
tion with  God.  Yet  he  professed  much  gratitude, 
and  begged  me  to  call  again.  I  did  so  in  a  day  or 
two,  and  found  his  disorder  had  taken  a  favourable 
turn,  and  with  it  his  seriousness  had  nearly  gone. 
It  was  difficult  to  induce  him  to  speak  of  his  soul ; 
but  having  no  reason  to  hope  that  he  would  recover, 
as  his  phj^sician  thought  the  disease  would  soon 
return,  I  endeavoured  as  faithfully  as  possible  to 
warn  him  of  his  state  and  prospects.  He  listened 
pohtely,  but  with  little  interest;  until  a  fit  of  cough- 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  237 

ing  seized  him,  and  I  thought  it  best  not  to  say 
more.  I  called  once  or  twice  after,  but  he  declined 
seeing  me,  and  the  gentleman  of  the  house  with 
whom  he  was  staying,  told  me  that  as  soon  as  he 
began  to  think  himself  getting  better,  his  thoughts 
returned  to  earthly  things.  Poor  man !  A  few 
days  after  this,  he  embarked  in  a  vessel  for  his 
native  land,  and  the  next  notice  I  had  of  him  was, 
that  he  died  soon  after  getting  out  to  sea,  and  was 
buried  in  the  ocean. 


3facao,  December  27th,  1844. 
Rev.  John  M.  Lowrie  —  My  Dear  Cousin:  — 
Since  April,  1843, 1  have  preached  in  English,  once 
a  week,  to  a  small  congregation  of  EngHsh  and 
Americans,  some  of  Avhom  are  pious.  It  is  the  cus- 
tom of  most  of  the  missionaries  just  to  take  printed 
sermons  and  read  them  off,  which  is  well  known  by 
the  people.  I  have  done  so  myself  several  times, 
but  never  liked  the  plan,  nor  felt  comfortable  in 
adopting  it.  As  the  people  who  attend  are  very 
intelligent,  I  found  it  required  a  good  deal  of  care 
to  prepare  sermons  that  would  be  profitable;  and 
that  I  could  give  most  instruction  in  the  fewest 
words,  and  with  least  labour  to  myself,  by  w^riting 
out  my  sermons.  I  have  done  this  commonly,  and 
have  now  nearly  fifty  written  discourses,  besides 
several  skeletons.  As  I  lost  all  my  w^ritten  sermons 
when  shipwrecked,  the  preparation  of  these  has  been 
attended  with  some  degree  of  labour,  and  takes  as 
much  time  as  I  can  at  present  afford  to  give.  I  felt, 
indeed,  some  scruple  about  giving  so  much  time  to 
a  work  no't  du^ectly  the  one  for  which  I  came  here, 
but  felt  satisfied  about  it  on  considering  that  I  am 
still  young,  and  the  labour  and  study  of  preparing 
sermons  would  be  of  essential  benefit  to  me ;  and  I 
have  found  it  so.     Preaching  is  a  very  dehghtful 


238  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

work,  and  I  have  only  regretted  that  I  could  not 
give  more  time  to  it.  .  .  . 

It  was  a  great  disappointment  to  Lloyd  and  my- 
self not  to  be  together,  but  it  seemed  to  be  clearly 
the  will  of  Providence  that  we  should  deny  ourselves 
that  gratification,  and  it  is  quite  uncertain  whether 
we  shall  ever  see  each  other  again.  As  it  was,  we 
could  be  together  less  than  two  weeks,  and  in  that 
time  I  did  not  learn  half  as  much  as  I  wanted. 
Hugh  Brown,  too,  will  go  to  the  same  station  with 
Lloyd,  and  as  Happer  will  be  at  Hong  Kong,  I  shall 
be  ""Si  stranger  in  the  earth."     So  be  it!    It  is  good 

to  feel  that  this  is  not  our  home,  nor  our  rest 

I  am  your  afiectionate  cousin, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


3Iacao,  December  28th,  1844.    3 

Hev.  James  Montgomery — My  Dear  Brother  : — 
Your  letter  of  January  15th,  which  came  to  hand 
August  6th,  gave  me  great  pleasure,  for  it  told  me 
that  though  you  had  not  written,  your  heart  was 
still  unclianged.  I  observed  one  thing  in  it,  which 
has  struck  me  in  a  number  of  other  letters  I  have 
received.  Speaking  of  my  shipwreck,  you  remark, 
that  you  could  scarce  help  thinking  that  I  was  pre- 
served for  some  great  end  in  this  part  of  the  world. 
The  same  idea  has  been  expressed  to  me  by  several 
other  of  my  correspondents,  and  I  can  sometimes 
scarcely  avoid  thinking  it  may  be  so ;  and  3^et  the 
thought  of  it  almost  makes  me  tremble,  for  what  a 
responsibility  does  it  throw  upon  me,  and  what  a 
foreshadowing,  so  to  speak,  is  there  in  such  an  ex- 
pectation of  great  trials  and  conflicts  ?  It  is  through 
much  tribulation  we  must  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven.  It  is  in  the  way  of  ''much  tribulation," 
that  great  good  is  commonly  effected ;  and  if  I  am 
to  be  the  instrument  of  good  here,  I  cannot  expect 


MEMOIR   OP   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  239 

to  avoid  trials  and  sorrows,  greater  perhaps  by  far 
than  any  that  have  yet  come  upon  me.  I  do  not 
murmur  at  this.  If  i  know  my  own  heart,  I  do  not 
wish  to  shrink  from  any  cross  or  any  burden  God 
sees  good  or  needful  to  lay  upon  me ;  but  oh !  how 
much  do  I  need  grace,  yea,  "  more  grace,"  to  fit  me 
for  the  trials  of  my  w^ork  here.  Pray  for  me,  that 
having  done  all  and  suffered  all,  I  may  stand 
accepted  in  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  have  had 
some  little  experience  of  tribulation  since  leaving 
the  United  States.  I  have  known  what  it  is  to  bear 
with  long  delays  and  hopes  deferred,  making  the 
heart  sick.  I  have  gone  through  perils  on  the  deep, 
and  have  been  tried  with  the  perversities  and  way- 
wardness of  some  who  had  made  the  warmest  pro- 
fessions of  attachment. 

Whither  do  all  these  things  tend?  Is  the  trial 
over  yet,  or  am  I  to  go  through  the  furnace  again? 
Dear  brother,  I  confess  my  heart  sometimes  trem- 
bles when  I  ask  myself  these  questions.  For  after 
all  this  sifting  and  searching,  and  refining,  I  still 
find  so  much  of  dross  and  impurity,  that  I  sometimes 
think  the  furnace  must  be  made  "one  seven  times 
hotter,"  before  I  am  fit  for  my  work.  If  I  have  a 
work  to  do  here,  God  will  certainly  prepare  me  for 
it.  I  do  not  wish  to  shrink  from  the  preparation, 
but  I  do  feel  that  without  more  grace  I  cannot 
endure  it.  Yet  I  dare  not  give  way  to  fear. 
Hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped  me.  In  every  trial 
hitherto,  grace  has  been  sufficient,  and  shall  I  not 
trust  him  for  the  future  ?  And  when  I  look  back  I 
am  obliged  to  say,  that  notwithstanding  all  the  sor- 
rows I  have  felt  since  leaving  the  United  States,  no 
period  of  my  life  has  been  so  happy  as  the  last  three 
years.  As  the  sufferings  have  abounded,  so  have 
the  consolations ;  and  were  it  not  for  some  undefined 
anticipations  of  the  future,  I  should  be  ashamed  to 
speak  of  my  sorrows  that  are  past  at  all.  .  .  . 
Surely  it  is  a  wonder  of  sovereign  grace,  that  God 
saves  any  of  such  a  sinful  race  as  ours  is !    We  fight 


240  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    L0^\TIIE. 

against  him,  and  provoke  him,  even  when  he  has 
shown  us  his  love. 

We  have  now  a  pretty  large  mission  here,  and  I 
trust  will  soon  be  settled  and  all  at  work.  Cannot 
you  come?  I  should  rejoice  to  have  you  with  me; 
and  I  can  assure  you  that  I  do  not  think  your  age 
a  sufficient  reason  for  not  coming,  if  you  have  no 
other.  Farewell,  pray  for  me,  and  believe  me, 
Ever  yours,  in  Christian  bonds, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

1845. 


DiflFerent  Missions  Established — Leaves  Macao — ^Voyage  up  the  Coast — 
Niagpo — Letters  and  Journals. 

During  this  year  the  missions  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  China  began  to  assume  a  more  settled 
form.  In  the  first  part  of  the  year,  the  missionaries 
had  all  reached  their  respective  stations,  and  com- 
menced their  work  under  ftivourable  and  encouraging 
circumstances.  In  April,  Messrs.  Culbertson  and 
Lowrie  anived  at  Ningpo,  and  Mr.  Looniis  at  Ting- 
hai,  on  the  island  of  Chusan;  and  in  July  the  print- 
ing-press was  removed  to  Ningpo.  In  May,  the 
Rev.  H.  A.  Brown  reached  Amoy.  During  the 
year,  a  boys'  boarding-school  was  commenced  at 
Macao,  and  another  at  Ningpo,  under  circumstances 
of  much  promise.  During  the  summer,  their  num- 
ber was  lessened  by  the  return  home  of  Dr.  Hep- 
burn and  his  wife,  on  account  of  the  failure  of  Mrs. 
Hepburn's  health.  This  was  a  great  trial  to  the 
mission  at  Amoy.  Dr.  Hepburn  had  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  the  Chinese  language,  and  was  greatly 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  241 

esteemed  both  by  the  native  population  and  foreign 
residents. 

The  missionary  labours  of  the  year  at  Ningpo, 
the  description  of  the  country,  and  the  general 
aspects  of  this  new  field  of  labour  are  so  fully  re- 
lated in  the  letters  and  journals  of  this  period,  that 
nothing  further  need  be  added  here. 

In  connection  with  the  account  of  the  missions 
in  China,  it  is  proper  to  notice  the  Edict  of  the 
Emperor,  dated  28th  December,  1844,  giving  full 
toleration  for  the  exercise  of  the  Christian  religion. 
This  remarkable  document  is  one  of  the  great  events 
of  the  age.  It  was  granted  at  the  request  of  M. 
Lagrene,  the  French  ambassador,  on  a  memorial  to 
the  Emperor,  from  Keying,  the  Imperial  Commis- 
sioner. It  gives  fuU  toleration  to  all  who  profess 
the  rehgion  of  Tien  Chu,  or  the  Lord  of  Heaven. 
This  is  the  term  used  by  the  Homan  Catholic  mis- 
sionaries to  denote  the  Christian  religion,  and  when 
the  edict  was  issued,  it  was  considered  sufficiently 
comprehensive  to  embrace  the  Christian  religion  as 
professed  by  Protestants. 

By  later  proceedings  of  the  civil  authorities,  this 
construction  appeared  to  be  erroneous.  On  the  2d 
of  November,  1845,  proclamations  were  issued  by 
the  authority  of  the  Imperial  Commissioner,  and 
the  Lieutenant  Governor  of  Canton,  stating  "that 
the  religion  of  the  Lord  of  Heaven  consists  in  peri- 
odically assembhng  for  unitedly  worshipping  the 
Lord  of  Heaven,  in  respecting  and  venerating  the 
cross,  with  pictures  and  images,  as  well  as  in  read- 
ing aloud  the  works  of  said  religion." 

By  this  explanation  Protestants  were  excluded 
from  the  benefits  of  the  edict  of  toleration,  and 
much  dissatisfaction  was  felt  and  expressed  at  this 
restriction.  But  this  feeling  was  of  short  duration. 
On  the  22(1  of  December,  1845,  Keying,  the  Impe- 
rial Commissioner,  in  a  letter  to  the  Consul  of  the 
United  States,  at  Canton,  states,  "that  some  local 
magistrates  had  made  improper  seizures,  taking  and 


242  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

destro3ang  crosses,  pictures,  and  images,  and  after 
deliberation  it  was  agreed  tliat  these  might  be  re- 
verenced. Originally,  I  did  not  know  that  there 
were  among  the  nations  these  differences  in  their 
religious  practices.  Now,  with  regard  to  the  reli- 
gion of  the  Lord  of  Heaven,  no  matter  whether  the 
crosses,  pictures,  and  images,  be  reverenced  or  not 
reverenced,  all  who,  acting  well,  practise  it,  ought 
to  be  held  blameless.  All  the  great  western  nations 
being  placed  on  an  equal  footing,  only  let  them 
acting  well  practise  their  religion,  and  China  will 
in  no  way  prohibit  or  impede  their  so  doing. 
Whether  their  customs  be  ahke  or  unlike,  certainly 
it  is  right  that  there  should  be  no  distinction,  and 
no  obstruction." 

Thus  did  this  subject  come  three  times  before  the 
civil  authorities  of  China,  and  the  important  distinc- 
tion between  Protestants  and  Roman  Catholics  was 
thus  brought  to  their  notice ;  and  much  to  the  credit 
of  the  Chinese  government,  all  are  equally  protected. 


Hong  Kong,  February  12th,  1845. 

My  Dear  Father — ^Your  very  welcome  letter  of 
August  oOth,  came  to  hand  last  Sabbath,  being  the 
first  1  have  received  from  you  for  fom'  months,  the 
longest  period  of  not  hearing,  since  my  first  letters 
reached  me.  It  does  begin  to  appear  as  if  years  had 
elapsed  since  I  saw  you.  Letters  written  home  and 
answers  received,  answers  written  back,  and  replies 
to  those  answers  received,  and  soon  I  shall  have  re- 
plies to  these  last. 

Having  finished  all  I  had  to  do  in  Macao,  I  left 
that  place  January  21st,  and  came  here  to  take  pas- 
sage for  Chusan.  I  expect  to  have  as  a  fellow-pas- 
senger, the  Eev.  T.  McClatchie,  missionary  of  the 
Church  xMissionary  Society,  of  whom  I  have  formed 
a  very  good  opinion.     The  Rev.  George  Smith,  his 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  243 

colleague,  is  in  very  poor  health,  and  I  fear  can  do 
no  more  than  visit  the  difFerent  ports,  and  then  re- 
turn to  England.  I  shall  regret  this  exceedingly, 
for  I  have  conceived  a  very  high  opinion  of  him. 
The  connection  of  these  excellent  men  with  the 
Established  Church  of  England,  gives  them  much 
influence  with  the  people  from  England  in  China; 
but  at  the  same  time  it  requires  them  to  be  doubly 
cautious  not  to  give  any  ground  of  complaint  against 
themselves.  On  this  subject,  however,  I  feel  daily 
that  we  have  reason  for  gratitude  in  our  American 
citizenship,  and  the  perfect  freedom  of  the  Church 
from  all  connection  with  the  State.  It  is  not  by 
might  nor  by  power,  but  by  God's  Spirit  that  our 
work  is  to  be  done.  May  God  grant  the  time  soon 
to  come  when  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  shall 
become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ! 
Your  affectionate  son, 

W.   M.   LOWRIE. 


THE  VOYAGE  UP  THE  COAST. 

Macao,  January  19  th,  1845. 

It  is  three  years  to  day  since  I  left  my  father's 
house.  Many  changes  have  come  over  me  since 
then ;  trials  and  afflictions  have  befallen  me,  but  out 
of  them  all  the  Lord  hath  delivered  me,  and  having 
obtained  help  of  Him  I  continue  to  this  day.  For 
nearly  two  years  I  have  been  preaching  to  a  small 
congregation  of  English  and  Americans,  once  every 
Sabbath.  To-day  I  preached  my  last  sermon  to 
them,  and  bade  them  farewell.  How  many  of  them 
shall  I  meet  in  peace  at  the  great  day  of  reckoning  ? 
As  far  as  they  are  concerned  at  least,  I  feel  m3^self 
pure  from  their  blood.  I  have  not  shunned  to  de- 
clare unto  them  the  whole  counsel  of  God.    And  to 


244  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER  M.    LOWRIE. 

some  at  least  it  has  been  a  blessing;  would  that  the 
same  could  be  said  of  all ! 

January  21st,  1845.  I  bade  farewell  to  Macao, 
and  turned  my  face  to  the  north.  It  was  not  with- 
out apprehensions  that  I  contemplated  another  voy- 
age, and  that  against  the  strong  north-east  monsoon ; 
for  nearly  every  voyage  I  have  made  since  arriving 
in  China  has  been  attended  with  disaster,  and  not  a 
fcAV  of  my  friends  shook  their  heads  ominously  when 
I  spoke  of  tempting  the  sea  again.  Yet  the  path 
of  duty  seemed  clear.  Nothing  further  of  any  con- 
sequence remained  for  me  to  do  in  Macao,  and  it 
was  desirable,  on  several  accounts,  that  I  should  as 
speedily  as  possible  proceed  to  Ningpo.  Com- 
mitting my  way,  therefore,  to  that  God  who  had 
heretofore  led  me,  even  through  the  deep  waters, 
and  preserved  me  in  the  most  miminent  perils,  and 
led  me  by  paths  that  I  knew  not,  I  left  Macao,  a 
place ^  that  had  become  endeared  to  me  by  many 
associations  and  recollections. 

It  was  far  from  my  intention  to  have  spent  so 
long  a  time  in  Macao;  but  various  intimations  of 
Providence  had  kept  me  there  nearly  two  years  and 
a  half.  How  many  events  have  occurred  in  that 
time !  When  I  arrived,  there  was  war  between 
England  and  China,  and  most  men  thought  it  would 
be  of  long  continuance.  Yet  in  a  few  months  the 
war  was  ended,  a  treaty  of  peace  was  negotiated, 
and  five  ports  in  China  were  thrown  open  to 
foreigners.  Extravagant  hopes  began  to  fill  men's 
minds,  and  many  expectations  were  indulged,  which 
have  not  been  realized.  When  the  supplementary 
treaty  was  signed,  (Oct.  8th,  1843,)  boasts  long  and 
loud  were  uttered,  and  hopes  rose  yet  higher.  But 
had  men  been  wise  and  studied  God's  law  and  pro- 
vidence, they  must  have  seen  there  was  reason  to 
fear  that  treaty  could  not  prosper.  The  Christian 
Plenipotentiary  who  negotiated  it,  agreed  to  the  pro- 

Eosal  of  a  heathen  statesman,  an(f  signed  it  on  the 
lOrd's  day !     There  was  all  the  parade  and  circum- 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  245 

stance  of  military  pomp,  and  men  in  their  joy  forgot 
that  there  is  a  God  who  will  not  suffer  his  law  to  be 
violated  with  impunity.  This  treaty,  far  less  than 
the  treaty  of  Nanking,  has  satisfied  the  expectations 
at  first  formed.  Rather  it  has  bitterly  disappointed 
them,  for  some  of  its  clauses  have  nearly  crushed 
the  commercial  importance  of  Hong  Kong. 

What  changes  and  accessions  in  our  own  mission  ! 
I  have  seen  SlcBryde  go  home,  and  have  welcomed 
here,  Hepburn  and  Cole,  and  McCartee  and  Way, 
and  Loomis  and  Lloyd,  and  Culbertson  and  Happer. 
Several  of  them  are  already  settled  in  their  ap- 
pointed stations,  and  now  our  Chinese  mission,  after 
various  fluctuations,  wears  a  more  settled  and  pro- 
mising aspect,  than  at  any  former  time. 

What  changes  in  the  other  missions  !  Mrs.  Boone 
and  Mrs.  Dean,  Mr.  Dyer,  Mr.  Morrison,*  Mrs. 
Ball  and  Mrs.  Shuck,  have  gone  to  their  reward. 
Some  have  gone  home  on  visits,  one  no  more  to 
return.  Others  have  come  in  their  places.  More 
than  half  the  missionaries  now  in  China  have  arrived 
wdthin  the  last  three  years,  though  of  these  several 
had  been  labouring  in  other  parts  for  the  Chinese. 
It  has  been  a  time  of  breaking  up  and  settling  down 
again;  but  like  the  sea  w^hose  waters  heave,  even 
when  the  storm  has  died  away,  there  is  a  heaving 
and  a  motion  yet.  What  shall  the  end  of  these 
things  be?  Little  do  w^e  know,  and  still  less  can 
we  foresee,  but  "the  Lord  reigneth,  let  the  earth 
rejoice."  Whatever  changes  may  occur,  all  shall 
accomplish  good.  "I  will  overturn  and  overturn 
and  overturn,  until  he  come,  whose  right  it  is :  and 
I  will  give  it  him." — Ezek.  xxi.  27. 

Comparatively  few  vessels  sail  for  the  northern 
ports  of  China  during  the  N.  E.  monsoon,  and  I  was 
detained  nearly  a  month  in  Hong  Kong.  Yet  the 
delay,  though  tedious,  was  not  unpleasant,  for  there 

*  Althougli  ]Mr.  Morrison  was  not  a  missionary  himself,  he  was  one  of 
our  warmest  friends,  and  his  death  was  as  much  a  loss  to  the  mission- 
aries, as  to  any  other  class  in  Cliina. 
21* 


246  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

were  many  friends  there,  and  lettei^s  from  home 
brought  me  cheering  news.  At  length  I  succeeded 
in  getting  a  berth  on  board  the  Rob  Roy.  She  is 
a  cHpper  bark,  built  in  Calcutta,  to  trade  between 
India  and  China.  The  captain  and  mates  are 
English,  and  her  crew  a  motley  mixture  of  Bengahs, 
Malays,  Manilla  men,  with  one  or  two  Arabs,  two 
Chinese,  and  a  Portuguese  from  Goa,  who  is  the 
blackest  man  on  board. 

I  regretted  much  that  the  vessel  sailed  to-day, 
which  IS  the  Sabbath,  but  this  I  could  not  prevent; 
all  my  baggage  of  course  was  put  on  board  yesterday, 
and  had  she  sailed  early  in  the  morning,  I  should 
have  slept  on  board.  But  knowing  that  there 
would  be  much  bustle  and  confusion,  I  thought  I 
could  spend  the  Sabbath  morning  more  profitably 
on  shore.  Got  a  note  from  the  captain,  saying  she 
would  leave  anchorage  at  eleven,  A.  m.  ;  so  about  ten 
I  bade  my  kind  friends  farewell,  and  came  on  board. 
It  looks  but  little  like  the  Sabbath  here.  The  men 
were  washing  the  decks,  officers  busy,  merchants 
and  clerks  from  the  town  on  board,  and  altogether 
it  was  far,  far  from  pleasant.  Shortly  after  eleven 
w^e  started,  but  were  detained  nearly  two  hours  in 

fetting  out  of  the  harbour,  by  the  consignees  not 
aving  all  the  papers  ready.  How  little  of  the  Sab- 
bath was  kept  by  the  consignees,  officers,  and  sixty- 
three  Lascars  and  other  persons  concerned  in  the 
sailing  of  this  single  vessel ! 

We  left  Hong  Kong  on  the  16th  of  February, 
with  a  fair  wind,  which  carried  us  out  of  the  harbour, 
but  it  soon  fell  calm,  and  then  we  had  the  N.  E. 
monsoon  directly  in  our  teeth.  Our  vessel  is  a 
very  fast  sailer,  and  consequently  in  "  beating  pas- 
sages," very  wet,  and  her  deck  was  seldom  dry. 
On  the  18th  we  passed  immense  numbers  of  fishing- 
boats;  I  counted  one  hundred  and  ninety-five  at 
one  time  in  sight,  and  that  was  not  nearly  all.  We 
kept  close  along  the  Chinese  coast  for  several  days, 
beating  against  the  wind,  and  making  tolerably  good 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  247 

progress.  After  reaching  Breaker  Point,  we  stretched 
across  the  Formosa  Channel.  The  wind  was  strong, 
and  the  sea  high,  and  for  two  or  three  days  we  were 
uncomfortable  enough.  In  eight  days  after  leaving 
the  port,  we  snw  the  high  land  on  the  southern  end 
of  Formosa.  This  large  and  populous  island,  which 
may  be  called  the  granary  of  some  of  the  eastern 
provinces  of  China,  is  as  yet  without  the  presence 
of  any  missionary,  either  I^rotestant  or  Roman  Cath- 
olic. The  western  part  is  under  the  dominion  of 
the  Emperor  of  China,  but  the  inhabitants  of  the 
mountains  in  the  centre  have  not  been  subdued^  and 
the  eastern  shore  is  almost  unknown. 

We  were  so  much  favoured  in  the  first  part  of 
our  voyage  that  we  reached  the  latitude  of  the  Chu- 
san  islands  in  sixteen  days,  Avhich  at  this  season  of 
the  year  is  a  very  quick  run ;  but  the  remainder  of 
our  voyage  was  not  so  speedy.  We  had  then  less 
than  two  hundred  miles  further  to  go,  but  a  suc- 
cession of  baffling  head  winds  caused  us  to  spend  a 
whole  week  in  going  that  short  distance.  It  was 
not  till  Tuesday,  March  11,  that  we  cast  anchor  at 
Woosung,  tAventy-three  days  after  leaving  Hong 
Kong.  In  the  favourable  monsoon  the  voyage  is 
made  with  ease  in  less  than  ten  days.  It  was  a 
very  rough  voyage,  and  except  in  urgent  cases 
should  not  be  attempted,  especially  by  females. 
The  roughness  of  the  passage  renders  it  nearly  im- 
possible to  spend  one's  time  profitably,  and  three  or 
four  weeks,  or  even  five,  for  the  voyage  is  often 
that  long,  is  too  much  time  to  be  thrown  away. 
There  is  also  all  the  risk,  which  is  not  small,  and 
the  exposure,  which,  coming  from  the  warm  latitude 
of  Canton,  to  the  colder  climate  of  the  north,  is  not 
a  httle  disagreeable.  Yet  men  of  the  world  submit 
to  all  this,  and  much  more,  for  the  sake  of  earthly 
riches,  and  the  missionary  should  not  hesitate  to  do 
the  same,  when  the  great  object  of  his  life  can  be 
gained  by  the  sacrifice  of  some  personal  ease  or 
comfort. 


248  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

Most  persons  dislike  the  sea,  and  it  is  common 
to  speak  of  the  monotony  and  tedium  of  long  voy- 
ages. There  is  little  to  be  seen  that  is  new  after 
the  first  few  days,  and  without  caution  and  watch- 
fulness, one  is  apt  to  become  impatient  and  fretful. 
Yet  with  due  care,  it  need  not  be  so.  The  best  of 
all  expedients  to  make  the  time  pass  pleasantly,  is  to 
have  something  to  do,  and  to  do  it.  It  requires 
some  resolution  to  keep  one's  self  constantly  em- 
ployed, but  the  exertion  is  amply  repaid.  And 
there  is  much,  even  amidst  the  sameness  of  sea  life, 
that  is  deeply  instructive.  God  has  so  ordered  all 
things  in  nature,  that  they  form  a  constant  com- 
mentary and  illustration  of  invisible  and  eternal 
things.  That  more  of  such  analogies  can  be  traced 
in  the  sailor's  life  than  in  any  other  I  will  not  pre- 
sume to  say,  but  I  have  often  been  surprised,  and 
oftener  still  instructed  as  well  as  gratified,  with  the 
illustrations  of  the  Christian's  course  which  the  voy- 
age of  a  ship  affords.  The  various  changes  of  the 
"weather,  now  calm  and  sun-shiny;  now  stormy  and 
dark ;  now  rapidly  speeding  on  with  prosperous 
breezes,  and  anon,  painfully  labouring  against  the 
Avind ;  who  has  not  felt  such  changes  as  these  in  his 
Christian  course? — The  unceasing  diligence  of  all 
concerned,  especially  the  captain  and  officers,  their 
constant  study  of  the  charts  and  books  of  directions, 
and  their  anxiety  to  secure  observations  of  the  sun 
and  stars,  that  they  may  know  their  daily  progress 
and  position;  who  does  not  recognize  in  this  the 
duty  of  the  Christian  to  study  carefully  the  great 
chart  and  book  which  God  has  given  to  direct  us  on 
our  way,  and  by  earnest  looking  ujmard^  to  gain  wis- 
dom from  on  high  to  lead  our  steps? — The  constant 
look-out  for  danger,  and  the  anxiety  to  avoid  hidden 
shoals,  to  mark  the  progress  and  direction  of  the 
currents,  and  to  take  advantage  of  every  wind 
that  blows;  how  often  have  they  reproved  me  for 
being  so  careless  of  danger,  and  so  negligent  where 
Christ   said,  "Watch!"  and   so   indifferent   to   the 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  249 

Spirit's  influences,  which,  "hke  the  wind,"  must 
waft  the  soul  to  heaven.  When  the  ship  has 
dropped  her  anchor  in  the  port,  universal  joy  pos- 
sesses every  heart.  The  dangers  and  watchings 
and  fatigues  of  the  voyage  are  over,  the  rewards  of 
labour  are  now  to  be  enjoyed,  and  the  quietness  and 
peace  of  home  to  repay  the  toils  and  perils  that  are 
past.  "  They  are  glad  because  they  are  quiet,  and 
because  they  are  brought  to  their  desired  haven," 
but  how  much  more  real  and  satisfying  is  the 
Christian's  joy,  when  he  enters  the  haven  of  rest, 
his  home  in  the  skies !  There  "  there  is  no  more 
sea." 

The  entrance  of  the  great  river  Yang-tsze  Keang 
(child  of  the  ocean)  is  rather  difficult,  especially  to 
vessels  drawing  much  water.  So  much  earth  is 
brought  down  by  this  immense  stream,  and  deposited 
in  the  sea,  that  the  water  is  quite  shallow  for  many 
miles,  and  a  vessel  is  in  danger  of  running  aground 
long  before  the  land  is  seen.  The  coasts  of  China 
in  this  latitude  are  low,  and  perfectly  level,  and  the 
land  can  scarcely  be  seen  more  than  ten  miles  off. 
The  strength  oi  the  tides  is  also  very  great,  and 
several  vessels  have  already  been  lost  on  the  sands 
and  rocks  off  the  entrance  of  the  river.  Until  light- 
houses are  erected,  and  buoys  properly  placed,  more 
than  ordinary  caution  will  be  required  of  the  offi- 
cers of  vessels  visiting  Shanghai. 

After  enterin^the  river,  the  course  is  north-west, 
to  Woosung.  Entering  the  Woosung  river,  the 
course  is  south-west,  about  fourteen  miles  to  Shang- 
hai. 

The  whole  country  for  many  miles  around  the 
city  is  a  perfect  plain,  having  only  sufficient  eleva- 
tion a,nd  depression  to  carry  off  the  water.  There 
is  not  a  single  hill  within  twenty  miles  of  Shanghai, 
which  of  course,  renders  the  appearance  of  the  coun- 
try uninteresting.  The  soil,  however,  is  rich  and 
productive,  and  excepting  the  space  occupied  by  the 
graveS;  is  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation.     There  are 


250  MEMOIR  OF  WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

no  stones,  nor  even  small  pebbles,  for  in  a  trip  of  \ 
some  twenty  miles  along  the  Woosung  river,  not  a 
stone  was  to  be  seen,  except  such  as  had  been 
brought  from  a  distance.  Farm  houses  and  small 
villages  dot  the  country  in  every  direction,  and 
clumps  of  bamboos,  with  orchards  of  peaches 
and  plum  trees,  and  wallows  by  the  water-courses, 
relieve  the  sameness  of  the  ground.  Tw^o  crops, 
one  of  wheat,  and  the  other  of  cotton,  are  raised 
every  j^ear,  and  in  some  parts  a  third  crop  of  rice  is 
also  procured.  Rice,  however,  is  not  so  much  cul- 
tivated here  as  in  the  more  southern  parts  of  China, 
and  as  there  are  few^  paddy  fields  near  the  cit}^,  the 
ground  is  not  so  marshy  as  to  render  it  unhealthy. 
The  city  of  Shanghai  is  pleasantly  situated  at 
the  junction  of  the  Woosung  and  Hwangpoo  rivers. 
It  is  of  a  circular  form,  surrounded  by  walls,  about 
fifteen  feet  high,  and  nearly  four  miles  in  circum- 
ference. The  suburbs  near  the  rivers  are  thickly 
inhabited,  and  the  population  is  estimated  at  about 
two  hundred  thousand  inhabitants.  By  the  Woo- 
sung river  it  is  connected  with  the  city  of  Soochow, 
the  capital  of  the  province,  and  one  of  the  most 
luxurious  and  wealthy  in  the  empire,  and  also  with 
the  Grand  Canal  which  reaches  to  Peking.  Hence 
its  situation  is  one  of  great  importance,  and  its  trade 
is  immense.  Rows  of  junks  are  moored  for  nearly 
two  miles  along  the  bank  of  the  Hwangpoo,  on  the 
east  of  the  city,  and  vessels  are  constantly  arriving 
and  departing.  Already  it  is  attracting  a  large 
share  of  foreign  commerce,  and  many  suppose  that 
it  will  soon  rival,  if  not  surpass  Canton,  as  a  place 
for  foreign  trade.  Sixty-five  foreign  vessels  have 
already  entered  the  port,  though  it  is  but  a  year 
and  a  half  since  business  commenced  to  be  done 
there.  The  great  tea  and  silk  districts  of  China  are 
nearer  to  Shanghai  than  to  Canton,  and  if  proper 
encouragement  be  held  out,  a  large  part  of  those 
articles  which  were  formerly  carried  at  great  ex- 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  251 

pense  to  the  latter  place,  will  find  their  way  either 
to  Shanghai  or  Ningpo. 

Every  foreigner  who  has  visited  this  place,  gives 
the  inhabitants  a  much  better  character  than  those 
of  Canton.  They  are  rather  taller,  of  a  more  ruddy 
complexion,  and  much  more  civil  and  weU-disposed 
than  their  southern  countrymen.  In  passing  through 
the  streets  one  is  rarely  insulted,  and  the  opprobri- 
ous epithets  so  common  in  Canton  and  Macao  are 
scarcely  ever  heard  here. 

The  Roman  Catholics  once  had  a  strong  footing 
in  Shanghai.  Paul  Siu,  an  officer  of  the  highest 
rank,  and  his  daughter  Candida,  who  were  the  tAvo 
most  powerful  and  liberal  friends  the  Jesuits  ever 
possessed  in  China,  were  natives  of  this  city,  and 
several  monuments  to  his  memory  are  still  found 
within  the  walls.  In  one  place,  the  heathen  descen- 
dants of  Siu  offer  incense  to  his  image.  One  of  the 
idol  temples  in  the  city^  was  formerly  a  chapel  of  the 
Roman  Catholics,  and  is  even  now  commonly  called 
the  "  Teen-choo-tang,"  or  "  Hall  of  the  Lord  of  Hea- 
ven," the  name  they  give  their  places  of  worship  in 
China.  There  are  many  Roman  Catholic  converts 
in  the  province  of  Keang-su,  and  several  foreign 
priests,  who  dress  in  Chinese  clothes,  and  live  as 
the  Chinese  do.  The  R.  C.  Bishop  of  Keang-nan 
and  Shantung,  an  Italian,  and  a  nephew  of  the  Pope, 
by  the  way,  resides  within  five  miles  of  Shanghai. 

Saturday,  30th  March,  1845.  Left  Shanghai  on 
yesterday,  and  reached  Woosung  to-day  about  eleven 
o'clock.  I  went  ashore,  and  strolled  up  the  banks 
of  the  Yang-tsze  Keang  about  three  miles.  The 
river  is  so  wide,  you  cannot  see  the  other  bank. 
The  country  being  very  low,  high  embankments  are 
raised  to  protect  the  land  from  the  high  tides.  The 
embankment  along  the  Yang-tsze  lieang,  is  faced 
with  solid  masonry  four  feet  thick  and  about  fifteen 
feet  high,  for  several  miles — how  far  exactly  I  can- 
not say,  but  as  far  as  1  went  or  could  see,  it  was  so. 
The  termination  of  my  walk  was  the  little  city  of 


252  MEMOIR    OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

Paouhau,  which  is  walled  and  has  four  gates.  The 
city  is  square,  the  circuit  of  the  walls  verj^  little 
more  than  a  mile,  and  nearly  all  the  houses  are 
ranged  along  the  two  streets  that  extend  from  the 
gates  and  intersect  in  the  centre  of  the  town.  The 
rest  of  the  space  within  the  walls  is  occupied  by 
gardens.  I  should  not  think  the  population  was 
more  than  two  thousand.  The  houses  outside  the 
walls  were  larger  and  more  numerous  than  those 
within.  I  went  right  through  the  town,  then  out 
at  the  same  gate,  a  crowd  of  boys  at  my  heels,  then 
half  round  the  walls,  and  then  back  to  the  ship. 

Tuesda}^,  April  1st.  About  eleven  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  cast  anchor  in  Chusan  harbour,  and  my  joy 
at  finding  myself  safe  at  my  journey's  end,  was  only 
equalled  by  that  of  finding  the  Isabella  Ann  with 
Loomis  and  Culbertson  safe  on  board.  She  arrived 
on  Saturday,  after  a  thirty-eight  days'  passage, 
which,  from  the  accounts  they  have  given  me,  was 
not  only  very  unpleasant,  but  even  dangerous ;  but 
we  are  all  safe  here.  Thanks  to  God,  who  holds  the 
winds  and  directs  the  storms. 

In  the  day-time  went  through  the  city  of  Tinghai. 
Loomis  and  his  wife  remain  here  for  the  present. 
The  Culbertsons  go  to  Ningpo  to-morrow.  I  shall 
remain  several  days  and  go  to  Ningpo  early  next 
week. 

Tinghai  is  in  the  centre  of  a  large  valle}^,  with 
high  hills  on  three  sides.  At  this  time  the  valley 
is  "all  green  and  yellow  with  crops  of  beans,  barley, 
and  cabbage  in  flower,  and  looks  very  well.  The 
streets  are,  I  think,  cleaner  than  is  usual  in  Chinese 
towns.  In  the  evening  I  walked  with  Loomis  and 
Culbertson  over  the  little  island  just  opposite  Ting- 
hai ;  a  splendid  view  from  the  top ;  quite  delighted  to 
find  some  blue  and  white  violets  growing  on  the  hill. 

Wednesday,  April  2d.  Went  to  the  Isabella  Ann 
to  see  about  my  freight.  Found  my  mattress  was 
missing,  and  several  boxes  of  my  books  wet.  Had 
not  time  to  open  them,  but  shall  doubtless  find  them 


MEMOm  OP   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  253 

much  spoiled.  The  Roh  Roy  being  so  full,  I  could 
not  bring  them  in  her,  and  had  to  send  them  by  the 
other.  Mr.  Bates,  an  American  merchant,  the  only 
American  here,  has  very  kindly  offered  me  a  room 
while  I  stay  here. 

Thursday,  April  3d.  I  had  my  boxes  from  the 
Isabella  Ann  taken  to  Mr.  Loomis's  house,  and  as 
they  had  got  wet  on  board  the  ship,  I  had  serious 
misgivings  about  their  condition.  I  opened  them 
to-day ;  but,  oh,  what  a  mess !  My  books,  my  no- 
ble books,  on  which  I  prided  myself  so  much ;  some 
were  utterly  ruined,  more  than  half  are  seriously 
injured,  three-fourths  are  greatly  defaced,  and  not 
one-fourth  have  escaped  without  some  damage.  Five 
hundred  dollars  would  not  replace  the  injury  they 
have  suffered. 

The  mate  of  the  vessel  who  stowed  them  away, 
"thought  they  were  spirits  of  wine,"  and  put  them 
in  the  part  of  the  vessel  where  such  articles  are 
kept,  where,  if  water  should  come,  no  harm  is  done ! 
I  fancy  he  had  some  spirits  in  his  head  when  he 
thought  so.  Well,  there  was  no  use  of  crying,  or 
scolding,  or  fretting;  so  I  did  not  lose  my  temper. 
I  only  wished  I  had  not  brought  so  many ;  but  as 
wishing  was  of  no  avail,  I  commenced  to  rub  and 
air  them.  I  got  two  Chinese  to  help  me.  They 
will  be  a  pitiable  sight  when  all  is  done. 

Friday,  April  4th.  A  wet,  rainy  forenoon. 
Went  to  Loomis's  house,  and  spent  several  hours 
among  my  damaged  books.     Alas  !  alas ! 

Thursday,  April  10th.  Packed  up  my  books,  or 
at  least  part  of  them,  to  take  to  Ningpo.  About 
two  hundred  volumes  were  in  such  a  state  that  I 
must  leave  them  here  for  a  while,  and  some  fifty  or 
more  are  about  useless.  "  Three  removes  are  as  bad 
as  a  fire !" 

Left  Chusan  at  half-past  nine,  A.  m.,  with  fair  tide 

but  light  wind.     Chartered  a  native  boat,  and  took 

most  of  my  goods  and  chattels,  making  twenty-one 

packages   m  all  3   paid  three  dollars  lor  the  boat, 
22 


254  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

which  is  about  one-third  of  what  I  should  have  had 
to  pa}^  in  Macao.  There  were  only  a  few  passen- 
gers, as  I  told  the  owner  he  must  not  crowd  the 
boat.  Among  the  passengers  were  two  inhabitants 
of  the  mainland  from  near  Chinhai,  a  farmer,  a  Bud- 
hist  priest,  and  a  Fuhkeen  merchant,  decidedly  the 
most  intelligent  of  the  whole.  There  were  several 
others,  but  I  saw  none  of  them  except  one,  who 
came  to  me  once  with  his  breath  smelling  so  strong 
of  opium,  that  I  gave  him  a  lecture  thereupon. 

Friday,  April  11th.  Breakfast  at  eight  o'clock. 
After  prayers  I  soon  found  Dr.  McCartee,  who  is 
living  in  a  monastery.  Then  took  a  walk  through 
the  city,  admired  the  straightness  and  width  and 
comparative  cleanness  of  the  streets,  and  afterwards 
went  to  the  Pagoda,  or  Tower  of  Ninerpo,  an  im- 
mense tall  tower,  a  hundred  feet  or  more  in  height. 
Vast  numbers  of  swallows  have  built  their  nests  in 
holes  in  the  walls.  Going  up  to  the  top,  I  enjoyed 
a  magnificent  view  of  the  country  around.  Ningpo 
is  in  a  vast  plain,  a  perfect  level ;  but  high  hills  are 
in  sight  on  all  sides  but  one.  The  plain  is  so  level 
that  the  hills  look  quite  near,  but  they  are  really 
from  fifteen  to  eighteen  miles  distant. 

At  six  o'clock,  p.  M.,  took  a  walk  with  Way  and 
Culbertson,  and  their  wives.  There  are  but  few 
houses  in  this  part  of  the  suburbs,  and  we  walked 
about  perfectly  unembarrassed  with  people.  The 
vegetation  is  very  luxuriant  here.  Saw  several 
tombs  erected  in  the  time  of  the  Ming  Dynasty; 
there  was  first  a  pair  of  stone  rams ;  then  of  dogs ; 
then  of  horses  saddled  and  bridled ;  then  of  monks ; 
and  then  of  tombs.  I  have  seen  many  of  them  at 
Shanghai. 

April  14th,  1845.  After  a  visit  to  the  city,  wc 
sailed  some  distance  up  the  north  branch  of  the  river, 
whose  course  is  quite  crooked  a  short  distance  above 
the  North  Gate.  At  the  distance  of  twelve  /(?,*  we 
passed  a  large  distillery,  known  by  the  usual  sign 

*  Tlirec  Ic  arc  about  oue  mile. 


MEIMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  255 

of  a  tall  pole,  with  a  small  round  bamboo  sieve  near 
the  top,  and  a  small  flag  above  it.  Passing  three  le 
further,  we  went  ashore  at  a  temple  where  the  keeper 
received  us  full  civilly,  and  gave  us  tea  to  drink. 
The  temple  contained  nothing  of  interest,  but  we 
were  amused  in  watching  a  boat  as  it  passed  over  a 
sluice.  As  the  tide  rises  and  falls  several  feet  in 
the  river,  the  small  streams  and  canals  that  empty 
into  it  would  be  nearly  useless  at  low  water.  To 
prevent  this,  they  are  all  dammed  up  at  the  mouth, 
and  thus  the  water  is  made  to  stand  always  at  nearly 
the  same  level,  so  that  they  are  always  useful  for 
irrigation  and  navigation.  To  enable  boats  to  enter 
the  river,  and  come  back  into  the  canals,  the  dam  is 
rounded  off,  and  by  means  of  two  rude  capsterns 
and  bamboo  ropes,  the  boats  are  hauled  up  to  the 
top  of  the  dam.  It  consists  simply  of  mud,  beaten 
smooth  and  hard,  and  rendered  slippery  by  pouring 
a  little  water  over  it.  As  soon  as  the  boats  are 
once  at  the  top,  their  own  weight  carries  them  down 
the  other  side,  and  they  enter  the  river  like  a  ship 
launched  from  the  stocks.  Each  sluice  is  attended 
by  two  men  and  several  boys,  and  it  requires  but  a 
minute  or  two  to  pass  a  boat  in  either  direction. 
By  these  economical  locks  there  is  no  loss  of  water, 
and  the  wear  of  the  flat-bottomed  boats  is  small. 
The  toll  for  passing  these  sluices  varies  from  five  to 
eight  cents,  according  to  the  size  of  the  boat. 

18th.  Took  up  my  quarters  at  the  Yu  shing 
kwan  monastery,  belonging  to  the  Taou  sect,  which 
is  situated  just  within  the  north  gate  of  the  city. 
There  are,  in  all,  five  monks,  in  the  establishment. 
As  soon  as  my  baggage  was  brought  in,  the  old 
abbot  sent  in  a  wooden  waiter  with  a  pile  of  sponge 
cakes,  and  four  cups  of  tea,  together  with  a  red 
card,  on  the  top  of  which  was  written  "Congratula- 
tions," and  beneath,  "  The  resident  supporter  of  the 
Yu  shing  kwan  monastery.  Hwang  che  hwuy  bows 
his  head  and  worships."  A  small  present  was  sent 
back  in  rctuiii. 


256  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

In  the  morning,  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  a 
"small  foot"  uncovered.  One  of  the  female  patients 
had  some  disease,  which  made  it  necessary  to  take 
the  bandages  off  the  foot,  a  thing  they  are  commonly 
unwilling  to  do  before  strangers.  The  sight  was  by 
no  means  pleasant.  All  the  toes  except  the  largest 
were  turned  under  the  sole  of  the  foot;  the  instep 
was  greatly  elevated,  and  the  hollow  between  the 
heel  and  the  ball  of  the  foot  much  deeper  than  in 
the  natural  state.  All  the  women  here,  excepting 
the  nuns,  have  their  feet  thus  unnaturally  com- 
pressed, and  in  consequence,  you  never  see  a  woman 
able  to  walk  with  even  tolerable  ease  and  grace. 
They  all  go  hobbUng  about  like  cripples,  and  fre- 
quently have  to  depend  upon  an  umbrella,  or  the 
shoulder  of  a  female  attendant  whose  feet  are  not 
quite  so  cruelly  hampered  as  their  own^  to  support 
their  steps. 

For  several  days  past,  gi-een  peas  in  abundance 
have  been  sold  in  the  markets. 

19th.  Went  to  the  Hwuy-Hwuy  Tang,  or  Mo- 
hammedan Mosque.  The  keepers  of  the  building 
were  from  Shantung;  and  one  old  woman  spoke 
Mandarin  beautifully.  (The  purest  Mandarine  dia- 
lect is  poken  in  Shantung.)  The  mosque  is  a  small 
building,  with  many  Arabic  incriptions,  and  we  were 
informed  that  there  are  some  five  hundred  Moham- 
medans in  Ningpo.  They  have  a  larger  mosque,  and 
more  numerous  population  in  Hangchiou,  the  capital 
of  this  province.  There  was  formerly  a  Jewish 
synagogue  in  Ningpo,  as  well  as  one  in  Hangchou, 
but  no  traces  of  them  are  now  discoverable,  and  the 
only  Jews  known  to  exist  in  China,  are  in  Kaifung 
foo,  the  capital  of  Honan. 

20th.  Preached  this  morning  to  the  largest  con- 
gregation of  foreigners  that  has  yet  met  in  Ningpo, 
sixteen  persons  in  all. 

21st.  Dr.  McCartee  having  occasion  to  go  to 
Chusan  to-day,  I  am  left  alone  in  the  monastery; 
but  a  smattering  of  Mandarin,  of  which  the  people 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  257 

all  understand  a  little,  enables  me  to  get  along  with- 
out difticulty.  Dr.  McCartee  has  three  boys  under 
his  care,  the  two  elder  of  whom  are  very  interesting 
and  affectionate ;  and  his  teacher  is  a  kind-hearted, 
excellent  man,  "almost  persuaded  to  be  a  Christian." 
We  have  prayers  morning  and  evening  in  Chinese, 
when  the  teacher  reads  and  explains  a  chapter  in 
Chinese,  and  repeats  or  reads  a  prayer ;  after  which 
we  have  a  prayer  in  English.  A-chang,  the  second 
boy,  was  greatly  delighted  with  my  barometer,  and 
repeated  several  times,  '^  Heaou  teh  fung !  heaou  teh 
yu !"  "  It  understands  the  wind !  It  understands 
the  rain !"  and  finally,  he  declared  there  was  nothing 
so  admirable  in  all  Ningpo. 

23d.  Arranging  my  rooms,  and  putting  my  clock 
up.  Got  a  servant  to-day,  who  seems  to  be  a  very 
simple-hearted,  good  sort  of  a  fellow,  and  who  looked 
with  unbounded  admiration  at  the  clock.  Seeing 
one  of  the  monks,  he  called  out  to  him,  "  Here  is  a 
clock !"  It  has  been  a  great  object  of  admiration 
all  day. 

25th.  Along  with  Dr.  McCartee,  and  Messrs. 
Way  and  Culbertson,  went  out  several  miles  into 
the  country  to  see  a  patient  of  the  Doctor's,  who  is 
confined  with  a  broken  leg.  The  country  is  inter- 
sected with  innumerable  canals,  which  supply  the 
place  of  high  roads  in  other  countries.  Much 
ground  is  also  covered  with  tombs,  so  that  the  com- 
mon saying,  that  the  Chinese  use  no  ground  for 
tombs  which  can  be  cultivated,  is  incorrect.  In  the 
south,  where  barren  hills  abound,  and  only  the  val- 
leys are  fit  for  cultivation,  the  remark  is  true;  but 
about  Shanghai,  Chusan,  and  Ningpo,  it  is  not. 

The  canals  are  full  of  fish:  to  catch  them,  bam- 
boo fences  are  staked  across  them  in  numerous 
places,  with  only  an  opening  for  boats.  The  open- 
ing itself  is  staked  with  flexible  reed,  which  alloAV 
the  water  to  pass  through,  and  boats  to  pass  over, 
but  effectually  prevent  the  fish.  Commonl}^,  the 
fences  are  formed  into  a  kind  of  labyrinth,  so  that 


258  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWREE. 

when  the  fish  are  driven  to  them,  they  enter  a  trap, 
from  which  it  is  difficult  to  escape,  and  they  are 
then  scooped  up  with  a  small  hand-net.  The  ap- 
pearance of  the  country  is  very  beautiful;  crops  of 
wheat  and  barley  nearly  ready  for  the  reaper, 
patches  of  clover,  beds  of  rice  for  transplanting, 
3^oung  fields  of  reeds  for  mats,  (a  very  important 
part  of  the  trade  of  Mngpo,)  water-wheels,  worked 
by  buffaloes  or  men,  the  latter  sort  somewhat  on  the 
principle  of  the  tread-mill,  a  few  water  buffaloes  and 
oxen,  quiet  farm-houses  and  numerous  villages,  with 
some  old  trees,  form  a  picture  of  great  beauty.  Oh  ! 
that  this  were  indeed  Immanuel's  land !  that  those 
whom  we  meet  were  partakers  of  the  same  faith 
and  hope  with  us !  "  How  long,  0  Lord !  Return 
and  visit  these  long  desolations !" 

30th.  Invited  to  a  Chinese  dinner.  The  dishes 
were  brought  in  bowls,  everything  being  cut  up,  and 
ready  for  use.  Each  guest  was  provided  with  a 
small  wine-cup,  a  spoon,  and  a  pair  of  chop-sticks. 
The  guests  were  Dr.  McCartee  and  his  teacher,  the 
old  abbot  and  one  of  the  monks  from  the  monastery, 
and  myself.  The  dishes  were: — stewed  chicken, 
cold  goose,  duck  and  bamboo-sprouts,  pork,  fish, 
cherries,  water-chestnuts,  pea-nuts,  soup,  beche  de- 
nier, ginger,  preserved  eggs,  spinage,  and  rice  and 
tea  to  close  with;  besides,  hot  spirits  distilled  from 
rice.  It  was  my  first  effort  with  chop-sticks,  which 
are  awkward  enough  at  first,  especially  when  you 
try  to  take  up  a  hard-boiled  eg^.  Several  of  the 
dishes  were  very  palatable,  but  one  or  two  of  the 
customs  were  not  particularly  pleasant,  e.  g.,  the 
old  abbot,  after  putting  his  chop-sticks  several  times 
into  his  mouth,  picked  out  a  tempting  piece  of  goose, 
and  offered  it  to  me  with  the  same  sticks.  I  begged 
to  be  excused,  though  it  is  a  mark  of  polite  atten- 
tion to  make  such  an  offer;  also  a  wet  cloth  was 
handed  round  after  dinner  to  wipe  the  fingers  and 
mouth,  the  same  cloth  for  all. 

May  3.     In  the  afternoon  a  respectable  and  in- 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  259 

teresting-looking  Chinese  came  to  the  Yu  shing  kwan 
temple  to  perform  some  ceremonies  on  the  sixth 
birth-day  of  his  son.  The  little  fellow  was  dressed 
in  his  best  clothes,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  the  whole 
affair.  His  father  had  brought  gilt  paper,  printed 
prayers,  and  a  large  number  of  bowls  full  of  various 
meats,  rice,  vegetables,  nuts,  cups  of  wine,  and  the 
like,  which  were  spread  out  before  the  idols.  The 
ceremonies  were  performed  in  the  apartment  of  the 
Tow-moo,  or  Bushel  Mother,  who  has  special  charge 
of  young  people,  both  before  and  after  birth.  The 
old  abbot  clothed  himself  in  a  scarlet  robe,  with  a 
gilt  image  of  a  serpent  fastened  in  his  hair.  One 
of  the  monks  wore  a  purple,  and  another  an  ash- 
coloured  robe.  A  multitude  of  prayers,  seemingly 
little  else  than  a  round  of  repetitions,  were  read  by 
the  abbot.  Occasionally  he  chanted  a  little,  when 
the  attendants  joined  in  chorus,  and  every  few  min- 
utes a  deafening  clamour  of  bells,  cymbals,  and  hol- 
low blocks  of  wood,  was  raised.  Genuflexions  and 
prostrations  innumerable  accompanied  the  whole 
ceremony.  The  most  singular  part  was  the  passing 
of  a  live  cock  through  a  barrel  which  had  both  ends 
knocked  out.  This  was  done  several  times  by  two 
assistants,  who  shouted  some  strange  words  at  each 
repetition  of  the  ceremony.  The  meaning,  as  I 
was  afterwards  told,  was  something  like  this: 
Prayers  had  been  offered  to  the  idol  Siat  the  child 
might  escape  certain  dangers  through  which  he  must 
pass ;  and  each  passing  of  the  cock  through  the  bar- 
rel was  intended  to  symbolize  his  passmg  safely 
through  one  of  these  perils.  It  was  a  melancholy 
sight.  In  conclusion,  some  of  the  prayers  were 
burnt,  a  cup  of  wine  poured  out  as  a  libation,  and  a 
grand  chorus  of  bell,  and  gong,  and  drum,  and 
blocks,  closed  the  scene. 

May  14.  A  wet,  rainy  day.  In  the  evening 
Dr.  McCartee  was  called  m  a  great  hurry  to  see  a 
man  who  had  poisoned  himself  by  taking  opium. 
On  going  to  the  house,  found  the  family  in  much 


260  MEMOIR    OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

alarm.  The  man  was  in  bed,  looking  very  stupid, 
and  his  wife  attending  him  with  some  appearance  of 
anxiety  and  care.  He  had  had  a  quarrel  with  his 
mother-in-law,  and  in  revenge  attempted  to  make 
away  with  himself  by  taking  opium.  ^  There  was, 
however,  some  reason  to  suppose  that  it  was  partly 
a  feint  to  frighten  the  old  woman,  and  after  an  emetic 
being  given,  we  came  away.  The  Chinese  have  but 
little  to  deter  them  from  the  commission  of  suicide, 
for  they  have  very  faint  ideas  of  a  future  state,  or 
of  punishment  beyond  the  grave. 

May  17.  A  great  Hwuy,  or  festival  of  Too-shin, 
all  the  gods,  has  been  celebrated  for  the  last  day  or 
two.  Saw  a  part  of  the  procession  to-day,  though 
the  narrow  crowded  streets  gave  but  a  poor  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  the  different  parts.  There  were 
innumerable  lanterns,  three  or  four  gaily  ornamented 
dragons,  a  boat,  several  chairs,  idols,  little  boys  car- 
ried on  men's  shoulders,  and  various  other  sights. 
The  most  interesting  were  several  gaily  dressed 
girls,  who  seemed  to  be  standing  on  almost  nothing 
at  all.  One  girl  staitding  on  a  chariot,  carried  a 
branch  of  a  tree  carelessly  on  her  shoulder :  on  one 
of  the  twigs  of  the  branch  stood  a  little  girl,  on  one 
foot,  with  the  other  in  the  air.  Another  girl  held 
up  in  her  hand  a  plate  of  cakes,  and  a  smaller  girl 
stood  with  one  foot  on  the  cakes,  and  was  thus  borne 
along.  Of  course  all  this  was  done  by  means  of 
iron  or  brass  supporters  around  their  bodies.  The 
crowd  of  people  was  immense,  and  numerous  police- 
men seemed  to  be  busy,  or  rather  to  make  themselves 
busy,  for  I  never  saw  so  large  a  crowd,  and  so  little 
disorder. 

It  was  a  curious  sight  to  look  over  the  crowd  and 
see  the  forest  of  pipe-stems.  Nearly  everybody 
carries  a  pipe  with  a  stem  from  two  to  four  feet  long, 
and  when  held  up  to  keep  them  out  of  harm's  way, 
they  looked  like  a  forest  of  small  sticks,  or  perhaps 
like  a  cane-brake  stripped  of  its  leaves. 

May  27.     It  is  amusing  to  observe  the  commo- 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWREE.  261 

tion  excited  by  the  appearance  of  a  foreigner  in  the 
retired  parts  of  the  city,  where  few  have  yet  wan- 
dered. Every  one  cries  out,  "Hung  ma  nying! 
hung  ma  nying !"  a  red-haired  man !  a  red-haired 
man!  this  being  the  name  for  all  foreigners.  The 
women  and  children  scatter  in  all  directions;  the 
men  stare  and  gaze,  or  pass  their  comments,  as  the 
fancy  strikes  them.  It  is  melancholy  to  witness  the 
fear  of  foreigners  that  still  exists,  especially  on  the 
part  of  the  women  and  children.  Some  of  the  men 
look  as  if  they  would  be  glad  to  hide,  and  if  you 
look  at  them,  seem  ready  to  sink  into  the  ground. 
Commonly,  however,  this  fear  is  giving  way  to 
curiosity;  and  nothing  is  more  common  than  for 
those  who  see  the  stranger  to  beckon  to  the  women 
to  come  and  have  a  look  also.  One  little  boy,  in 
his  haste  to  do  this,  dropped  his  basket,  overturned 
his  playfellow,  and  running  to  the  door,  clapped  his 
hands  and  called  out,  "  Here's  a  red-haired  man ! 
come !  quick,  quick !"  The  titles  they  give,  and  the 
remarks  they  make,  are  sometimes  amusing,  and 
sometimes  provoking.  "'  Mantele !"  for  mandarin. 
"  Wailo  fuhke,  wailo !"  Be  off  with  you !  "  Lailo !" 
Come  here.  "Hung  ma  nying!"  are  the  common 
terms;  and  sometimes  "Pah  kwei,"  and  "Kwei 
tsz,"  white  devil,  and  devil's  child!  Some  few,  on  the 
other  hand,  are  polite  enough  to  say,  "  Hungma  seen 
saung,"  foreign  teacher;  and  the  beggars  say, 
"Hungma  laou  yay,"  foreign  esquire. 

The  sun  is  sometimes  called  Kin  ivoo,  or  "golden 
crow,"  from  its  spots,  which  are  thought  to  be  crows ; 
and  the  moon  is  called  the  Yuh  too,  or  "jewelled 
hare,"  because  they  say  a  hare  is  distinctly  seen  in 
it.  Hence,  in  poetical  style,  the  setting  of  the  sun 
and  rising  of  the  moon  is  expressed  by  "  The  golden 
crow  sank  in  the  west,  and  the  jewelled  hare  arose 
in  the  east." 

May  29.  Went  out  wdth  Dr.  McCartee  several 
miles  into  the  country,  by  water  of  course.  Stopped 
at  a  small  village,  and  went  into  a  temple,  when  a 


262  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

crowd  soon  came  round  us,  and  notice  being  given 
that  Dr.  McCartee  would  prescribe  for  the  sick 
gratuitously,  a  number  of  patients  applied  for  medi- 
cine and  advice.  After  this  Dr.  McCartee  and  his 
teacher  both  spoke  to  the  people  on  religion,  and 
were  listened  to  with  good  attention.  Tracts  were 
then  given  to  the  eager  crowd,  and  we  took  our 
departure,  much  gratified  with  our  visit  and  the 
behaviour  of  the  people. 

Ileturning,  saw  a  large  house  in  the  western 
suburb  on  fire.  It  seemed  to  be  the  family  man- 
sion of  some  wealthy  person;  but  the  Chinese  have 
little  skill  in  putting  out  fires,  and  the  owners  were 
removing  their  furniture,  and  leaving  the  house  to 
its  fate.  The  Cheheen  (mayor  of  the  city)  and 
several  other  military  and  civil  officers,  were  speedily 
on  the  ground  with  their  retainers.  Being  tired  and 
hungry,  we  did  not  stop  to  see  the  end,  but  were 
informed  that  b}^  breaking  down  parts  of  the  ad- 
joining houses,  the  flames  were  prevented  from 
spreading. 

May  30.  Spent  part  of  the  day  in  visiting  ac- 
quaintances among  the  Chinese,  then  went  to  the 
house  of  a  Mr.  Lin,  to  see  his  garden,  which  is 
spoken  of  as  very  fine ;  but  were  rather  disappointed, 
as  it  had  nothing  remarkable  in  it.  While  in  the 
garden  Mr.  Lin  came  out  to  see  us,  and  politely 
took  us  over  his  house,  which  is  large,  airy,  and 
well  furnished.  He  had  some  six  or  eight  large 
clo(;ks  of  European  manufacture,  but  all  out  of  order, 
with  numerous  beautiful  scrolls  of  writing  and  paint- 
ing. His  father  left  him  a  fortune  of  some  three 
hundred  thousand  taels,  (over  four  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars,)  but  his  extravagance  has  diminished 
it  to  one  hundred  thousand.  He  smokes  opium 
freely,  and  looks  sallow  and  thin.  Some  friends 
w^ere  with  him  at  the  time,  and  he  had  an  opium 
pipe,  and  lamp  burning  in  the  room  to  which  he  led 
us.  This  opium  is  the  curse  of  China.  It  is  drain- 
ing out  their  money  from  the  land,  sucking  the 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  263 

heart's  blood  of  their  industry,  and  destroying  tho 
constitutions  and  the  lives  of  their  people. 

June  3,  1845.  On  Saturday,  May  31st,  Dr. 
McCartee  was  called  to  see  a  woman  in  the  country, 
who  had  poisoned  herself  by  taking  opium,  but  sho 
was  dead  before  he  arrived.  It  seems  she  was  tho 
concubine,  or  second  wife,  and  had  a  quarrel  with 
the  first  Avife,  which  led  to  her  destroying  herself. 
This  evening,  another  case  of  poisoning  occurred  but 
a  few  doors  from  our  residence.  In  this  case  ho 
was  in  time,  and  some  sulphate  of  zinc  soon  relieved 
the  man's  stomach.  The  cause  was  a  quarrel  with 
some  of  the  neighbours. 

Yesterday  and  to-day  have  been  wet  and  cold. 
Thermometer  down  to  64  deg.,  which  is  eighteeu 
degrees  lower  than  it  was  the  day  before. 

June  5.  Reading  in  the  Kea  Paou,  or  "  Family 
Jewels,"  I  came  across  the  following  sentences,  which 
are  rather  remarkable.  "  If  your  parents  treat  you 
with  unkindness,  or  even  do  what  is  wrong,  you 
must  still,  with  the  utmost  quietness,  submit.  And 
if  they  will  not  hear  your  attempts  to  correct  their 
errors,  you  must  not  become  angry,  and  scold  them ; 
but  bear  it  in  silence.  For,  remember,  that  below 
the  skies,  there  is  not  such  a  thing  as  a  father  or 
mother  that  does  wrong.  Your  father  is  heaven^ 
and  your  mother  is  earthy  and  where  is  the  man  that 
dares  to  contend  with  heaven  and  earth?  Is  it 
right  to  do  so  ?  Therefore,  it  was  well  said,  by  an 
ancient  sage,  ^Although  a  father  should  ill-treat  his 
son,  yet  must  not  the  son  cease  his  filial  obedience.' " 
The  following  sentence  is  equally  remarkable :  "  Let 
not  your  love  for  your  wife  and  children  prevent 
your  paying  all  due  respect  to  your  parents.  Should 
your  wife  and  children  die,  you  may  yet  procure 
others ;  but  if  your  father  and  mother  depart,  whence 
will  you  replace  them?"  Kea  Paou,  vol.  i.  p.  6. 
The  sentiment  of  this  last  line  must  remind  the 
student  of  history,  of  the  saying  ascribed  to  a  Per- 
sian lady,  whose  whole  family  had  been  condemned 


264  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

to  death.  The  monarch,  permitting  her  to  save  the 
life  of  any  one  she  chose,  she  selected  a  brother. 
On  being  asked  why  she  had  not  rather  chosen  to 
saA^e  one  of  her  children,  she  replied,  ''I  may  have 
other  children,  but  another  brother  I  cannot  have." 

To-day  being  the  first  of  the  Chinese  month, 
several  people  have  come  to  worship  at  the  temple. 
Several  travelling  monks  assist  at  the  devotions. 
Among  the  worshippers  were  some  respectably 
dressed  females,  one  of  whom  took  her  little  child, 
that  knew  not  its  right  hand  from  its  left,  and 
making  it  kneel  before  the  idol,  taught  it  to  lift  its 
hands  and  worship. 

June  7.  Another  case  of  opium  poisoning  to-day. 
It  was  a  3^oung  man  who  could  not  collect  money  to 
pay  his  debts  on  the  fifth  of  the  month,  when 
according  to  custom  here,  all  debts  must  be  settled. 
The  application  for  assistance  was  too  late,  as  he 
was  dying  when  Dr.  McCartee  reached  the  house. 

June  16.  A  visit  from  sundry  ofiicial  persons, 
and  some  scholars,  to-day.  They  were  civil,  very 
inquisitive,  and  not  at  all  backward  in  asking  for 
anything  they  took  a  fancy  to.  One  of  them 
requested  a  few  sheets  of  writing  paper,  as  a 
curiosity,  and  when  I  took  out  half  a  quire,  mean- 
ing to  give  him  a  sheet  or  two,  he  held  out  both 
hands,  and  took  all,  exclaiming,  "Oh,  thank  you, 
thank  3^ou !"  We  gave  them  tracts,  several  of  which 
were  printed  on  our  own  press,  with  the  Parisian 
type.  They  expressed  much  pleasure  at  the  beauty 
and  clearness  of  the  type,  as  1  have  more  than  once 
or  twice  heard  scholars  do,  when  they  opened  one 
of  our  tracts. 

June  18.  An  animated  discussion  with  my  tea- 
cher to-day  on  idolatry.  He  is  the  most  zealous 
defender  of  their  idolatrous  rites  that  I  have  ever 
met  among  the  Chinese,  and  does  not,  as  most  of 
them  do,  assent  to  everything  that  we  say  on  the 
subject.  According  to  what  he  says,  idols  were  not 
formerly  worshipped  in  China,  nor  are  they  now,  by 


MEMOIR   OF  WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  265 

the  literati,  who  pay  their  adoration  only  to  the 
souls  of  the  deified  persons,  and  not  to  the  images. 
When  pressed  in  argument,  he  admitted  that  it  was 
of  no  use,  except  to  show  reverential  feehng,  for 
the  souls  of  the  idols  being  in  heaven,  could  not 
hear  or  enjoy  the  worship  paid  to  them.  At  last 
he  confessed  that  it  was  only  "long  established  cus- 
tom." I  rejoiced  to  be  able  to  tell  him  distinctly, 
that  it  was  only  by  renouncing  all  idols,  believing 
on  Christ,  and  worshipping  him,  that  any  man  could 
be  saved. 

It  is  curious  to  see  how  they  use  the  same  argu- 
ments in  favour  of  their  worship,  which  the  Roman 
Catholics  urge  for  the  adoration  of  the  saints. 
Among  other  things,  he  said  that  it  was  better  to 
worship  heroes,  and  such  like,  because  God  is  too 
great  to  be  troubled  with  our  prayers,  and  therefore, 
we  must  approach  him  by  means  of  persons  greater 
than  ourselves.  When  asked  if  there  were  any 
good  and  sinless  men  on  earth,  he  replied  with  em- 
phasis, "There  are  few  indeed!"  When  asked, 
"Did  you  ever  see  one?"  he  replied,  " Never T  At 
this  point  he  seemed  to  feel  uncomfortable,  and  ad- 
mitted that  man's  natural  disposition  is  not  good, 
though  he  was  hardly  willing  to  say  this,  without 
some  qualification. 

June  19.  Another  long  conversation  with  my 
teacher,  on  religion,  in  which  I  could  not  but  ad- 
mire his  independence.  He  freely  admitted  the 
difference  between  Christianity  and  the  religion  of 
China;  but  unlike  most  Chinese  teachers,  he  would 
not  compliment  me,  bv  saying  that  ours  was  the 
best.  He  listened  with  interest,  while  I  spoke  of 
the  way  of  salvation,  through  the  sufferings  and 
death  of  Christ.  Oh,  that  he  were  himself  a  Chris- 
tian !  He  is  acute  to  detect  the  inconsistencies  of 
professed  Christians,  and  asked  some  questions  to- 
day, respecting  some,  which  were  hard  to  answer. 

June  21.  Went  into  the  main  building  of  the 
temple  to-night,  and  found  all  the  monks  busy  at 


266  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LO^VRIE. 

their  devotions.  Some  person  was  making  an  offer- 
ing, and  his  gifts  were  spread  out  in  order  before  the 
idol.  Fourteen  candles  were  burning.  The  old  ab- 
bot was  beating  the  drum,  and  twelve  monks,  more 
than  half  of  whom  were  visitors,  were  chanting  from 
the  Shangtekincj^  or  Classic  of  the  Supreme  Ruler. 
Each  wore  a  long  yellow,  or  orange  coloured  robe, 
fringed  with  black,  and  read  from  a  copy  of  the  book 
beautifully  written  with  red  ink.  They  chanted, 
beat  their  bells  and  blocks  of  wood,  knelt,  and  rose 
again,  and  bowed  their  heads,  Oh,  how  melancholy 
to  see  it !  Some  of  the  monks  were  old  and  gray- 
headed.  One  was  young,  with  the  ruddiness  of  boy- 
hood still  on  his  cheeks.  I  thought  of  the  command, 
"  Thou  shalt  not  bow  down  unto  them — "  and  my 
heart  sank  within  me,  as  the  question  rose,  "Hoav 
long,  oh  Lord,  how  long  ? —  "  Will  this  kind  go  out 
except  by  prayer  and  fasting? 

June  26.  Several  conversations  with  my  teacher, 
of  late,  on  religion,  which  seem  to  have  made  some 
impression  on  him.  He  was  much  struck  with  the 
idea  of  missionaries  coming  here,  not  to  make  money, 
but  simply  to  teach  religion,  and  after  a  pause,  said 
seriously,  "  It  requires  great  faith  to  do  all  this.  I 
do  not  think  our  Chinese  would  do  it."  Giving  him 
an  account  of  ni}^  being  shijjwrecked  some  years  ago, 
he  was  much  interested,  and  remarked,  "  Truly  you 
would  not  have  escaped,  if  Jesus  had  not  preserved 
you." 

July  1.  The  warmest  day  we  have  yet  had. 
Thermometer  at  91°  for  a  while,  and  now  at  nine 
o'clock,  p.  M.,  at  88°.  Little  wind,  and  weather 
very  damp.  It  is  what  the  Chinese  caU  the  tvang 
may  teen^  or  yellow  plum  season,  because  the  plums 
are  then  ripe,  when  the  atmosphere  is  so  overloaded 
with  moisture,  that  even  when  the  sun  is  shining, 
the  stone  and  wooden  floors  are  as  damp  as  if  they 
had  but  lately  been  scrubbed,  and  had  not  time  to 
dry. 

July   6th,  Sabbath.    Greatly   distui'bed   in   our 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOAVRIE.  267 

morning  worship,  by  a  number  of  Chinese  carrying 
alum,  the  property  of  a  Christian  merchant,  out  of 
a  neighbouring  store-room  to  load  a  ship,  the  pro- 
perty of  a  Christian  owner.  Verily,  there  is  but 
little  fear  of  God  in  the  eyes  of  many  who  do  busi- 
ness in  this  heathen  land.  Alas !  for  our  work 
among  this  people,  who  know  not  how  to  distinguish 
among  the  professed  and  the  real  followers  of  Christ. 

Very  rainy,  damp  weather  for  some  days,  and  so 
cold,  notwithstanding  the  heat  a  week  ago,  as  to 
render  thick  clothes  and  woollen  stockings  comforta- 
ble. But  it  is  the  last;  probably,  of  the  cold  wea- 
ther for  a  while. 

July  24.  Had  a  visit  to-day  from  a  Mr.  Lefevre, 
a  French  Roman  Catholic  missionary,  wdio  has  spent 
five  years  in  Keangse,  one  in  Nankin,  and  three  in 
Macao.  He  seems  to  be  about  fifty-five  years  old, 
and  is  now  on  his  way  to  Tartary,  to  take  charge  of 
their  theological  school  at  Siwan.  He  speaks 
Chinese,  the  court  dialect,  fluently,  and  tolerably 
well,  but  with  rather  a  French  accent.  As  he 
knew  no  English,  and  I  but  little  French,  we  talked 
together  in  Chinese.  He  goes  first  to  Shanghai, 
there  changes  his  garments  and  puts  on  a  queue, 
with  Chinese  spectacles,  to  conceal  his  ej^es.  From 
Shanghai  he  goes  by  the  grand  canal,  and  expresses 
no  fear  of  being  detected  on  the  way.  Though  he 
speaks  fluently,  he  knows  but  little  of  the  written 
language,  not  being  able  to  write  so  common  a  char- 
acter as  Kiing^  (noble,)  which  he  has  occasion  to 
use  every  day. 

He  speaks  in  the  highest  terms  of  Mr.  Ramaux, 
Roman  Catholic  bishop  of  Keangse,  and  says  he 
speaks  Chinese  better  than  even  his  own  language. 
(I  have  since  heard  that  Mr.  Ramaux  was  lately 
drowned  in  Macao.  From  some  of  his  letters,  I  had 
formed  a  good  opinion  of  him.)  The  Roman  Cath- 
olics in  China  call  their  priests  Shin  foo,  spiritual 
fathers,  and  the  bishops,  Choo  Keaou,  lords  of  the 
religion. 


2G8  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

July  25.  Went  into  the  temple  with  a  bundle  of 
thirty  or  forty  gospels  and  tracts  in  my  arms,  and 
found  many  worshippers.  Presently  some  came  and 
asked  what  books  I  had.  On  giving  one  away,  there 
was  instantly  a  crowd  of  eager  applicants,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  all  were  disposed  of.  A  hundred  more 
would  have  been  taken,  if  I  had  thought  fit  to  give 
them ;  but  it  seemed  better  to  stop  while  they  were 
eager  for  more,  than  to  give  them  to  satiety. 

July  28.  This  is  the  birthday  of  the  god  of 
thunder,  though,  as  my  teacher  laughing  said,  "No 
one  knows  how  old  he  is."  A  crowd  of  men  and 
w^omen  were  in  the  temple.  My  teacher  says, 
"Most  of  the  worshippers  are  women,  who  greatly 
fear  the  thunder,  though  there  are  some  men.  The 
w^omen  like  these  worshipping  days,  because  it  gives 
them  an  opportunity  to  see,  and  to  be  seen  in  their 
fine  clothes;  and  most  of  the  men  who  come,  come 
to  amuse  themselves,  and  look  at  the  women." 
Among  the  crowd  of  the  common  folks,  there  were 
many  men  and  women  in  silks  and  embroideries. 
Stalls  were  at  every  corner,  where  men  were  selling 
candles,  incense  sticks,  and  paper  for  offerings. 
The  temple  was  full  of  smoke ;  and  the  crowd, 
together  with  the  smoke  and  the  burning  paper, 
renders  the  place  almost  insupportably  hot.  I  took 
some  forty  or  fifty  tracts,  but  the  crowd  was  so 
great,  and  the  eagerness  to  get  them  so  excessive, 
that  there  was  little  satisfaction  in  distributing 
them. 

In  the  Kea  Paou,  vol.  i.,  line  5G2,  is  this  sentence. 
"  Ancient  men  have  well  said, '  A  relation  afar  off  is 
not  so  good  as  a  neighbour  that  is  near.' "  Almost 
word  for  word  with  Prov.  xxvii.  10.  "Better  is  a 
neighbour  that  is  near,  than  a  brother  afar  off." 

My  teacher  was  greatly  shocked  to-day,  when  I 
said  that  "  Abraham  was  the  friend  of  God."  "How 
can  it  be?"  he  exclaimed;  "how  can  a  man  be  the 
friend  of  God  ?  for  a  friend  implies  equality.  Such 
a  thing  ought  not  to  be  said."     These  poor  heathen 


IVIEMOIR    OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  269 

heave  little  idea  of  the  exceeding  grace  and  con- 
descension of  God.  The  other  day,  talking  Avith 
him,  he  advanced  the  sentiment  that  the  affairs  of 
the  world  to  come,  being  beyond  our  personal  obser- 
vation, are  of  no  importance  to  us ;  that  if  we  attend 
to  our  own  business  in  this  life,  the  future  may  be 
safely  left  to  take  care  of  itself.  In  confirmation 
of  his  opinion  that  the  future  world  is  entirely 
beyond  our  knowledge  and  concern,  he  quoted  the 
saying  of  Confucius,  "Not  knowing  even  hfe,  how 
can  we  know  death?"  How  truly  it  was  said  of 
Christ,  "He  hath  brought  life  and  immortality  to 
light  through  the  Gospel ;"  for  they  were  not  known 
before,  and  are  not  known  where  the  Gospel  is  not 
heard. 


Ningpo,  April  30th,  1845. 

Mrs.  C.  M.  Hepburn — I  have  httle  sympathy  for 
those  who  delight  to  say  that  our  blessed  Saviour 
never  smiled,  for  when  he  "rejoiced  in  spirit,"  and 
when  he  heard  the  little  children  cry,  Hosanna !  it 
seems  to  me  as  if  a  smile,  strangely  and  yet  SAveetly 
blending  the  divine  and  human,  must  have  played 
upon  those  features.  How  pleasant,  more  than 
"pleasant,"  to  see  those  features,  once  marked  with 
the  impress  of  pain  and  suffering  and  sorrow  !  They 
are  not  so  marked  now,  for  a  glory  covers  them, 
such  as  the  disciples  saw  when  they  were  with  him 
in  the  holy  mount^  and  that  glory  I  trust  we  shall 
ere  long  see. 

My  previous  letter  will  have  informed  you  of  my 
arrival  at  Chusan,  April  2.  I  stayed  there  a  week, 
enjoying  greatly  the  scener}^  and  appearance  of  the 
place.  It  quite  surpassed  my  expectations,  and  is 
vastly  more  beautiful  than  anything  I  have  yet  seen 
in  China,  always  excepting  Chang-Chow  and  the 
country  around.  You  have  nothing  at  Amoy  or 
Kulangsu  equal  to  Chusan. 


23* 


270  MEMOIR    OF   WALTER    M.    LOV/RIE. 

There  are  some  pious  soldiers  at  Chiisan,  and, 

among  others,  I  was  surprised  to  see  Corporal  R , 

who  used  to  be  such  a  constant  visitor  of  yours  at 
Amoy.  He  asked  very  earnestly  about  you  all. 
They  all  seem  very  glad  of  Loomis's  going  there, 
and  he  now  preaches  in  the  chapel  there  every 
Sabbath.  I  left  Chusan  on  the  luth  of  April,  and 
go  there  the  next  day.  Stayed  a  week  with  Br. 
Way,  and  then  came  over  to  the  Yu-Shing-KAvan 
monastery,  which  is  just  within  the  north  gate  of 
the  city.  Dr.  McCartee  has  been  here  for  some 
three  or  four  months,  and  I  got  a  suite  of  rooms 
just  like  his,  on  the  same  terms. 

This  is  a  very  quiet  part  of  the  city,  as  there  are 
few  houses  near ;  the  mass  of  the  population  lies  off 
in  other  parts  of  the  city.  I  calculate  the  inhabi- 
tants at  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand,  including 
the  suburbs  at  the  east  and  west  gates,  which  are 
very  extensive  and  populous.  .  .  . 

We  propose  observing  next  Friday  as  a  day  of 
fasting  and  i)rayer,  both  for  the  mission,  and  as  pre- 
paratory to  the  Lord's  Supper,  which  I  am  to  ad- 
minister on  the  Sabbath  following.  Miss  Aldersey 
has  a  fine  girls'  school,  numbering  fifteen  pupils,  and 
sustains  herself  well.  I  hope  for  much  good  from 
the  organization  of  a  church  in  these  extreme  ends 
of  the  earth.  .1  trust  that  ere  long  we  may  admit 
some  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  place  into  our  fellow- 
ship. .  .  . 

May  1st.  "The  laughing  month  of  May;"  though 
we  might  almost  apply  to  it  the  term  given  to  the 
following  month,  "The  rose  encumbered  June." 

One  of  the  monks  brought  me  a  bouquet  of  roses 
to-day,  which  I  have  arranged  in  a  tumbler  beneath 
my  looking-glass.  I  have  been  busy  fitting  up  my 
rooms  to-day,  and  have  everything  now  arranged 
much  to  my  mind. 

....  I  hope  we  are  all  settled  now,  and  will  not 
have  to  move  about  any  more,  or  make  any  other 
changes.     I  would  like  to  see  you  all;  but  when 


MEMOIR   OF    WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  271 

shall  it  be  ?  As  my  sister  E.  sa3^s  in  her  last  letter 
to  me,  "  I  am  prepared  to  say,  I  hope  you  will  not 
leave  your  field  of  labour,  even  to  come  and  see  us." 
I  am  sure  I  am  so  glad  to  be  at  my  long-desired 
haven,  that  it  would  require  no  slight  inducement 
for  me  to  leave  it.  How  nervous  I  used  to  feel 
sometimes,  on  my  last  trip,  for  fear  I  should  not  get 
up  after  all.  By  what  strange  ways  we  are  led 
along,  and  sometimes  hard  ones  to  travel.  "Oh 
there  are  seme  rough  ways  to  heaven."  "In  the 
world  ye  shall  have  tribulation."  So  our  blessed 
Lord  himself  said. 

Friday,  May  2d.  We  have  been  observing  this 
as  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  for  the  mission,  and 
also  as  preparatory  to  the  Lord's  Supper.  We  met 
at  10  o'clock — only  ourselves — six  in  all.  Bro. 
Culbertson  conducted  the  services,  and  made  some 
very  good  remarks  on  the  duties  before  us,  and  the 
disposition  we  should  have.  I  read  a  long  letter 
which  I  have  just  received  from  my  father,  in  which 
he  gives  his  views  on  several  points  in  relation  to 
the  missionary  work  in  China.  I  wish  you  were 
nearer,  I  would  lend  it  to  you.  We  all  led  in  prayer. 
In  the  afternoon  we  had  another  meeting  at  four 
o'clock,  which  I  conducted ;  subject  of  my  remarks, 
1  Cor.  xi.  23;  the  administration  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per. What  a  beautiful  and  forcible  passage  it  is ! 
The  Lord's  Supper  Avas  instituted  "  the  same  night 
in  which  he  was  betrayed."  Oh  what  a  night  was 
that !  It  was  the  crisis  in  the  world's  history.  Had 
our  Saviour  then  drawn  back,  had  the  cup  passed  by 
him,  where  had  we  been  ?  Earth  never  saw  a  night 
like  that.  It  was  on  that  night  that  Satan's  malice 
and  man's  wickedness  rose  to  their  highest  point; 
and  on  that  night  the  love  of  Christ  was  specially 
shown  in  the  appointment  of  this  solemn  and  tender 
ordinance.  How  the  love  of  God  in  Christ  stands 
in  shining  contrast  with  the  wickedness  of  man  and 
Satan !  And  what  a  beautiful  sentence  that  is : 
"Ye  do  show  the  Lord's  death  till  he  come!"     He 


272  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

will  come  ap^ain  "in  the  clouds  of  heaven."  Yea, 
he  has  told  us,  he  will  "  come  quickly."  It  will  be 
"with  power  and  great  glory.'  We  who  are  alive 
and  remain,  shall  be  caught  up  with  the  risen  saints 
to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air.  Now  we  are  expect- 
ing it.  "  We  love  his  appearing,"  is  the  characteris- 
tic of  Christians. 


'  Let  the  vain  world  pronounce  it  shame  !- 
With  joy  we  tell  the  scoffing;  age, 

He  that  was  dead  hath  left  the  tomb. 
He  lives  above  their  utmost  rage, 

And  we  are  waiting  till  he  come." 


Herein  is  a  beautiful  feature  of  this  ordinance.  It 
was  instituted  in  the  time  of  Christ's  degradation 
and  sorrow,  as  a  memorial  of  the  same ;  but  it  is  to 
be  observed  until  the  time  when  he  comes  in  power 
and  glory  and  joy.  Every  time  w^e  observe  it  we 
are  carried  back  to  the  scene  of  his  sorrow,  and 
pointed  forward  to  the  time  of  his  and  our  joy,  when 
it  shall  be  said  to  us,  "  Enter  ye  into  the  joy  of  the 
Lord."  Oh  that  when  the  bridegroom  cometh,  w^e 
may  be  ready  to  enter  in  before  the  door  is  shut ! 

Our  servants  are  greatly  at  a  loss  to  find  we  have 
eaten  so  little  to-day.  We  tried  to  explain  it,  but 
they  could  not  comprehend  why  it  was.  I  have  a 
very  simple-hearted  servant,  and  as  soon  as  I  came 
back  from  the  morning  service  he  said,  "Mr.  Lowrie, 
don't  you  want  something  to  eat  ?" 

May  3.  I  have  been  witnessing  an  idolatrous 
ceremony  in  another  part  of  the  monastery  where  I 
live,  which  has  made  my  heart  sick.  The  old  gray- 
headed  Taou  priest  and  three  of  the  monks  were 
reciting  prayers,  beating  gongs,  cymbals,  and  the 
like,  and  bowing  before  their  idols.  A  man  had 
come  to  offer  thanks  on  the  birth-day  of  his  son,  and 
the  little  boy,  six  years  old,  sat  and  watched  the 
whole  proceeding.  Who  made  me  to  differ?  Why 
have  I  such  glorious  hopes?     What  have  I  done  to 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  273 

deserve  them  ?  What  am  I  now  doing  for  him  who 
died  for  me,  and  called  me  into  the  ministry? 

It  is  a  rainy  afternoon.  The  sky  is  all  of  one 
dull,  sombre  hue ;  the  rain  comes  gently  yet  quickly 
down.  A  light  wind  blows  the  damp  air  into  my 
apartments,  and  some  noisy  birds  are  chattering 
under  the  Kwai  hAva  trees  in  the  court.  I  should 
like  to  have  a  social  chat  with  you  at  such  a  time  as 
this ;  but  we  are  far  away,  and,  moreover,  the  day 
draws  to  a  close,  and  after  hearing  the  boys  say 
their  lesson,  I  must  finish  my  preparations  for  the 
services  of  to-morrow.  Oh,  how  pleasant  to  sit  at 
the  Lord's  table  rather  than  at  the  table  of  devils ; 
to  hope  for  Grod's  favour  rather  than  that  of  idols 
which  cannot  save ! 

With  my  love  to  your  husband,  and  to  Lloyd  and 
Brown,  I  remain  yours,  ever  affectionately, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Ningfo,  May  30th,  1845. 

My  Dear  Father — The  city  of  Ningpo  lies  nearly 
in  the  centre  of  a  large  plain,  surrounded  on  all 
sides  by  mountains,  and  intersected  b}^  innumerable 
canals,  which  are  nearly  all  navigable,  and  serve  the 
double  purpose  of  irrigation  and  travelling.  A 
covered  boat  and  boatmen  can  be  had  for  a  whole 
day  for  twenty-five  cents,  and  whenever  we  want  to 
extend  our  ramble  any  distance  beyond  the  city,  we 
find  it  most  convenient  to  make  use  of  them.  The 
plain  is  at  least  twenty  miles  in  diameter  in  its  nar- 
rowest part,  and  much  wider  in  other  places.  The 
whole  of  this  great  amphitheatre  is  thickly  studded 
over  with  villages  and  farm-houses,  and  has  two  or 
three  large  cities  besides  Ningpo.  Foreigners  are 
not  allowed  to  wander  beyond  the  licen^  or  district  of 
which  Ningpo  is  the  capital.  Its  exact  dimensions 
we  do  not  well  know,  but  we  can  go  at  least  three 
miles  on  every  side,  and  in  one  direction  as  many 


274  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

as  twenty  or  thirty.  By  a  little  prudence  and  care, 
Ave  shall  doubtless  obtain  a  wider  range  for  our  ex- 
cursions. For  the  present,  unable  as  Ave  are  to 
speak  with  fluency,  the  field  is  vastly  larger  than 
we  can  profitably  occupy;  and  whenever  v^e  can 
speak  well,  w^e  doubt  not  that  the  door  w^ill  be 
opened  wider.  Should  it  not  be  opened,  the  ques- 
tion W'ill  arise,  whether  obedience  to  a  higher  au- 
thority and  covenant  than  any  of  human  devising, 
wdll  not  justify  us  in  exceeding  the  limits  that  have 
been  fixed,  and  preaching  in  other  cities  the  king- 
dom of  God.  On  this  point  there  is  some  diversity 
of  opinion  amongst  us ;  but  I  am  disposed  to  think 
that  a  blessing  would  attend  our  efforts,  if  carried 
on,  occasionally  at  least,  where  the  prince  of  this 
world  now  exercises  supreme  authority.  Opposi- 
tion and  excitement  on  the  part  of  the  rulers  w^ould 
but  rouse  attention  to  our  Avork.  But  it  may  be 
thought  that  this  is  looking  too  far  ahead. 

The  foreign  trade  of  Ningpo  is  not  so  great  as  it 
once  was.  It  once  carried  on  an  important  com- 
merce with  Manilla,  when  South  America  belonged 
to  Spain,  as  well  as  with  other  parts  of  the  Chinese 
Eni]>ire.  But  of  late  years  Shanghai  has  greatly 
surpassed  it,  and  the  latter  city  is  likely  to  possess 
by  much  the  largest  share  of  trade  with  western 
lands.  When  the  treaty  was  formed  in  1842,  it 
was  supposed  by  Sir  Henry  Pottinger,  Mr.  Morri- 
son, and  nearly  every  other  person,  that  Ningpo 
would  be  the  most  important  of  the  five  ports;  but 
it  has  been  found,  that  the  vicinit}^  of  Shanghai  to 
the  city  of  Loochow,  and  to  the  grand  canal,  give 
it  great  advantages  over  any  of  the  other  ports. 
The  best  days  of  Ningpo  are  probably  past,  and 
painful  evidences  of  decay  are  visible  on  all  sides. 
Still  it  has  a  considerable  trade  with  Fuhkeen,  and 
with  the  northern  provinces;  and  numerous  junks 
are  constantly  lying  in  the  river.  It  offers  more 
advantages  to  Americans  than  to  the  English,  as  it 
lies  nearer  to  the  green  tea  district,  and  offers  a 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  275 

good  market  for  the  sale  of  American  manufactured 
goods. 

The  people  are  as  civil  and  obHging  as  could  rea- 
sonably be  expected,  considering  the  severe  and  un- 
called for  treatment  they  received  during  the  war, 
and  the  thoughtless  course  of  some  of  the  English 
officers,  in  destroying  the  public  buildings  for' fire- 
wood. We  are  better  treated  here,  by  far,  than  a 
Chinaman  would  be  in  New  York  or  London;  though 
it  does  occasionally  ruffle  one's  temper  to  hear  him- 
self called  a  pah-kwei,  or  tvhite  devil,  with  some  other 
such  choice  epithets.  So  far  as  I  have  seen,  there  is 
little  difference  between  this  place  and  Shanghai  in 
that  respect;  and  the  difierence  in  favour  of  this 
place,  which  was  observed  not  long  ago,  was  proba- 
bly owing  to  the  fear  of  foreigners  then  fresh  in 
mind,  but  now  wearing  off. 

We  have  lately  organized  a  church  here,  under 
the  title,  "Presbyterian  Church  of  Ningpo,"  of 
which  Mr.  Culbertson  has  been  elected  pastor.  It 
consists  of  seven  members,  to  wit:  D.  B.  McCartee, 
Hingapoo,  a  Chinese  servant  of  Mr.  Way's,  together 
with  Mrs.  Way,  Mrs.  Culbertson,  Miss  Aldersey, 
Euth  Ati,  and  Christiana  Kit.  The  two  latter  are 
Chinese  girls  whom  Miss  Aldersey  has  educated, 
and  who  were  baptized  by  Mr.  Medhurst  in  Java. 
Dr.  McCartee  was  elected  ruling  elder,  and  Mr. 
Way  and  myself  also  act  as  ruling  elders  for  the 
time  being.  The  church  was  regularly  organized  on 
the  18th  inst.,  when  Mr.  Culbertson  preached  a  ser- 
mon on  Acts  ii.  42-47,  and  Dr.  McCartee  was  or- 
dained as  ruling  elder,  with  the  laying  on  of  hands 
of  the  bishop,  and  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  from 
Mr.  Way  and  myself,  in  our  capacity  as  ruKng  elders. 
It  was  a  good  day  to  us  all;  and  though  the  begin- 
ning is  small,  we  trust  the  latter  end  will  greatly 
increase.  It  is  a  day  of  small  things,  but  a  day  not  to 
be  despised.  As  this  is  the  first  Presbyterian  church 
in  China,  pray  for  us  that  the  small  one  may  become 
a  thousand,  and  the  weak  one  a  strong  nation. 


276  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

May  31st.  In  regard  to  the  facilities  for  dis- 
tributing tracts  a  good  deal  might  be  said,  but  the 
nature  of  it  would  depend  much  on  the  disposition 
of  the  person  who  writes.  Any  number  might  be 
given  away.  I  would  undertaKO  to  give  to  eager 
applicants  more  than  as  many  as  our  press  could 
possibly  print,  but  the  misfortune  is,  that  they  would 
be  just  as  eagerly  sought  after,  if  they  were  copies 
of  Paine's  Age  of  Reason,  or  any  other  book  in  the 
world.  I  think  each  member  of  our  mission  disap- 
proves of  indiscriminate  distribution.  We  do  not  yet 
know  the  proportion  of  the  people  who  can  read, 
though  it  is  probably  small;  yet  w^e  have  an  excel- 
lent opportunity  here  of  circulating  tracts  and  gos- 
pels, and  there  is  rarely  a  day  that  Dr.  McCartee 
and  myself  do  not  give  away  one  or  more,  where 
we  are  pretty  sure  they  will  be  read.  We  regard 
this,  therefore,  as  an  important  means  of  cii'culating 
the  principles  of  our  religion,  though  greatly  infe- 
rior to  the  oral  preaching  of  the  word. 

I  remain  your  affectionate  son, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Nmgj)o,  July  22d,  1845. 

My  Dear  Mother —  ....  Did  you  ever  notice 
Psalm  XXX.  5  ?  "  His  anger  endureth  but  a  moment, 
in  his  favour  is  life.  Weeping  may  endure  for  a 
night,  but  joy  cometh  in  the  morning."  Is  not  that 
beautiful?  But  here  is  a  literal  translation  of  it, 
which  is,  if  possible  still  more  beautiful  and  ex- 
pressive : 

"A  moment  in  his  anger, 
But  lifetimes  in  his  favour: 
In  the  evening,  weeping  "will  abide ; 
But  in  the  morning  there  is  shouting." 

Observe   the   force   of   the   expression.     "In   the 
evening,  weeping  will  abide."     It  "  will  abide."     It 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  277 

threatens  to  remain  long  with  us;  sorrow  seems  as 
if  it  were  about  to  take  up  its  abode.  Night  is 
before  us,  and  we  see  no  sun,  no  day,  no  joy  bej^ond. 
But  the  night  quickly  passes,  "as  a  dream  of  the 
night,"  and  what  then?  "In  the  morning  there  is 
shouting."  And  how  true  it  is !  Just  compare 
Isaiah  liv.  7,  with  2  Corinthians  iv.  17. 

That  a  iDerson  can  be  a  Christian,  and  yet  afraid 
of  death,  I  have  no  doubt.  Indeed,  I  suppose  most 
Christians  are  so.  But  why  should  it  be  so  ?  It  is 
hardly  correct  to  say,  "The  Bible  says  'Death  is 
the  king  of  terrors.' '  Bildad  the  Shuhite  said  so, 
or  something  like  it,  for  I  am  not  sure  that  he  meant 
death  by  that  expression;  but  if  he  did,  I  would 
not  like  to  take  all  he  said  for  the  Bible.  The  New 
Testament  does  not  so  represent  it.  It  says  that 
Christ  "gave  up  the  ghost,"  and  that  Stephen  "fell 
asleep."  The  apostle  says,  even  of  the  offending 
Corinthian  Christians,  "many  sleep;"  and  of  de- 
ceased Christians  generally,  that  they  "are  asleep." 
Asleep !  what  is  so  peaceful !  quiet  repose  in  Christ ! 
how  long  or  short  it  matters  little.  Soon  the  Lord 
will  come  again,  and  them  that  are  asleep  will  he 
bring  with  him.  How  soon?  We  know  not;  but 
soon,  not  a  thousand  years  off,  but  so  soon  that  we 
may  not  fall  asleep,  perhaps,  before  he  comes. .  . . 
As  ever,  affectionately  yours, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Ningpo,  August  2d,  1845. 

My  Dear  Father—  ....  My  health  is  better, 
so  far,  this  year,  than  any  year  since  I  came  to  Chi- 
na. Still,  however,  the  warm  weather  has  a  weak- 
ening effect,  which  we  all  feel  more  or  less.  There 
is  too  in  this  place  a  constant  tendency  to  diarrhoea 
in  summer,  which  needs  a  good  deal  oi  care  to  avoid 
it.     In  another  month  the  cool  weather  will  com- 

24 


278  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

mence.  If  this  3^ear  be  a  fair  specimen  of  Ningpo 
summer,  I  think  there  is  every  prospect  of  good 
health  here.  It  is  said,  however,  to  be  cooler  than 
usual.  .  .  . 

I  am  now  engaged  in  preparing  a  copy  of  Luke 
for  publication,  wdth  short  notices,  w^hich  I  hope  will 
be  ready  b}'  the  end  of  the  year;  and  perhaps  I 
shall  prepare  also  Acts  in  the  same  w^ay.  I  am 
losing  faith  in  the  doctrine,  "The  Bible  without 
note  or  comment,"  at  least  as  far  as  the  Chinese  are 
concerned,  from  the  often  witnessed  fact,  that  the 
most  intelligent  of  them  fall  into  frequent  and  gross 
mistakes  as  to  its  meaning.  For  example,  many 
think  w^e  worship  our  ancestors,  because  the  Lord's 
prayer  commences,  "Our  Father  w^hich  art  in 
heaven."  If  we  only  had  enough  of  our  small  type, 
Luke  and  the  comments  might  make  a  volume  of 
seventy-five  or  one  hundred  pages.  With  Dyer's 
tjq^e,  and  the  Paris  type,  it  will  be  one  hundred 
and  fifty  or  more,  and  consequently  far  more  expen- 
sive, and,  as  I  think,  not  so  good-looking.  Perhaps 
if  we  print  it,  w^e  may  get  enough  of  small  type  cut 
by  hand  to  supply  all  w^e  want.  This  wdll  be  ex- 
pensive, but  not  much  more  so  than  to  use  so  much 
more  paper,  &c.,  with  larger  type. 

.  .  .  .  "  The  Lord  reigneth,  let  the  earth  rejoice." 
His  own  cause  is  infinitely  dear  to  him,  and  our  fol- 
lies, weaknesses,  sins,  mistakes,  all  things  shall  not 
retard  it;  no,  not  for  one  moment.  His  w^ay  may 
be  in  darkness  and  storms,  and  the  clouds  may  be 
but  the  dust  of  his  feet;  but  in  due  time,  at  the  ap- 
pointed season,  all  w^ill  be  plain.  Till  then,  "Wo 
unto  the  world  because  of  offences.  It  must  needs 
be  that  oftences  come;"  but  I  pray  God  that  they 
come  not  from  us.  Oh  for  that  happy  time  w^hen 
they  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy,  nor  cause  to  offend, 
in  all  God's  holy  mountain. 

Ever  affectionately  your  son, 

W.    M.    LOWRIE. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  279 


JOURNAL  AT  NINGPO. 

August  8.  Exhibiting  a  microscope  to  my 
teacher  and  servants,  at  which  they  were  in  great 
astonishment.  The  beautiful  workmanship  of  the 
instrument  itself,  (a  present  from  a  kind  friend  in 
New  York,)  attracted  much  admiration;  but  its 
power  in  displaying  minute  objects  was  a  thing  of 
which  they  had  formed  no  previous  conception.  The 
hairy  leg  of  a  fly  was  an  object  of  especial  curiosity, 
and  they  exclaimed  frequently,  "  Why,  the  fly's  leg 
has  hairs  !  the  fly's  leg  has  hairs  !" 

The  weather  is  now  warm,  and  weakening  in  its 
efl*ects.  One's  strength  is  easily  exhausted,  and 
two  or  three  hours  of  close  apphcation,  either  to  the 
pen  or  one's  books,  is  fatiguing. 

August  9.  A  feast  for  the  dead,  who  have  no 
surviving  children  to  worship  them,  is  just  now  (nine 
o'clock,  p.  M.)  going  on  outside  of  my  rooms.  Two 
long  ropes,  with  numerous  strips  of  coloured  paper 
suspended,  are  hung  along  the  sides  of  the  streets, 
and  tables  with  various  eatables,  as  eggs,  water- 
lily  roots,  beans,  fish,  ginger,  rice,  cups  of  spirits, 
and  the  like,  are  spread  over  them.  At  one  end  is 
a  hideous  monster  made  of  paper,  and  at  the  other 
a  company  of  priests  are  performing  some  mono 
tonous  ceremonies.  Budhist  and  Taou  priests  mingle 
together  in  the  rites,  and  the  httle  children  look  on 
it  as  a  great  "raree-show."  The  object  is  to  feed  the 
souls  of  dead  men  in  this  neighbourhood,  who  have  no 
children  left  to  provide  for  their  wants.  Contribu- 
tions have  been  given  by  the  neighbours  to  the 
amount  of  four  thousand  cash,  and  as  the  expenses 
will  scarcely  amount  to  one  thousand,  the  remainder 
will  of  course  fall  into  the  pockets  of  the  priests. 

Saturday  evening,  August  23.  A  warm  oppressive 
day.  Feeling  a  slight  headache  in  the  evening,  I 
went  out  and  sat  down  on  the  Avail  by  the  north 
gate,  to  enjoy  what  little  wind  might  be  stirring. 
Several  workmen  who  lodged  in  the  guard-house 


280  RIEMOm  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

over  the  gate,  came  up  to  me,  and  after  a  few  ques- 
tions and  answers  we  were  on  the  best  possible  terms. 
The  conversation,  where  all  were  in  a  good-humour, 
and  all  wanted  to  talk,  was  very  mixed,  and  some- 
times diverting  enough.  After  a  few  ordinary 
phrases,  I  began  to  find  myself  out  of  my  depth, 
but  still  a  word  here  and  there,  and  half  a  sentence 
sometimes,  kept  us  going.  At  last  I  asked  them 
"what  gods  they  Avorshipped ;"  to  which  some 
replied,  '^Yuh-kwang,"  (the  Jewelled  Emperor,) 
also  "Kwan-yin,"  and  various  others.  On  this  I 
remarked  that  these  were  all  false  gods,  mere  wood 
and  clay ;  they  were  unable  to  speak,  hear,  see  or 
walk.  Of  what  use  were  they?  Why  should  they 
be  worshipped?  These  remarks  excited  frequent 
bursts  of  laughter,  with  exclamations,  "  True  1"  "Just 
so !"  and  the  like.  They  then  asked  if  we  had  no 
idols  in  our  country,  on  which,  "  with  stammering 
lips,  and  in  another  tongue,"  I  set  before  them  the 
only  object  of  worship,  tlie  true  God,  the  Supreme 
Iluler  of  all,  the  hearer  of  prayer,  and  his  son  Jesus 
Christ.  They  were  astonished  when  told  that  he 
could  see,  hear,  and  speak,  and  asked  various  ques- 
tions, to  many  of  which  I  found  it  difficult  to  reply. 
On  coming  away  several  of  them  requested  me  to 
"  come  again  to-morrow." 

Wednesday,  September  3.  Dr.  McCartee  and 
myself  started  on  a  trip  of  relaxation  and  explora- 
tion, meaning  to  visit  Teentung,  a  celebrated  Bud- 
hist  monastery,  some  twenty-five  miles  south  of 
Ningpo.  We  engaged  a  boat  large  enough  to  accom- 
modate ourselves,  Avith  my  teacher,  and  a  servant, 
besides  the  two  boatmen.  The  charge  for  the  boat 
and  boatmen  is  about  half  a  dollar  a  day. 

The  boat  being  somewhat  slow  in  starting,  we 
strolled  through  a  large  grave-yard  near  the  landing. 
Numerous  coffins  were  lying  about  on  the  top  of  the 
ground  with  no  covering  whatever,  and  some  were 
almost  fallen  to  pieces  through  age.  There  were 
three  stone  buildings  about  ten  or  twelve  feet  square, 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  281 

and  as  many  high,  intended  for  the  reception  of 
children's  bones.  One  was  the  "  Children's  Pagoda," 
and  the  others  the  "Boys'  Pagoda,"  and  ''Girls' 
Pagoda."  Such  buildings  are  common,  for  in  China 
little  attention  is  paid  to  the  burial  of  children,  un- 
less they  happen  to  be  the  first  born.  Instead  of 
the  massive  coffins  in  which  the  remains  of  adults 
are  laid,  a  shght  box  is  nailed  together,  in  which 
they  are  deposited,  and  laid  anywhere,  until,  the 
frail  structure  having  deca3^ed,  and  the  flesh  disap- 
peared, the  bones  are  collected  and  put  in  such 
buildings  as  these. 

Continuing  our  walk  through  the  suburb,  which 
is  long  and  wide,  and  near  the  city  very  populous, 
we  gave  away  some  tracts,  but  refused  many  appli- 
cants, on  the  ground  that  they  could  not  read.  It 
soon  began  to  rain,  and  getting  into  our  boat,  we 
proceeded  rapidly  on  our  way.  We  slept  rather 
uncomfortably  in  the  boat,  and  arrived  during  the 
nidit  at  the  hills  within  six  miles  of  Teentung. 

The  next  morning  on  awaking  we  found  ourselves 
at  the  foot  of  some  hills,  and  as  far  as  the  boat  could 
go.  The  country  around  had  an  inviting  aspect, 
and  we  began  to  promise  ourselves  much  pleasure  in 
rambling  about  among  the  hills.  But  to  our  dismay, 
heavy  showers  of  ram  came  up  every  few  minutes, 
and  it  soon  appeared  that  there  was  small  prospect 
of  getting  comfortably  to  Teentung.  We  turned 
our  faces  towards  Yiih-iuang^  a  large  Budhist  monas- 
tery, with  two  high  towers,  which  we  had  seen 
during  the  morning. 

We  reached  the  monastery  a  little  before  sunset, 
and  found  it  so  embowered  in  trees  that  the  build- 
ings were  not  visible  till  we  were  close  to  them. 
The  Budhist  priests  have  certainly,  what  is  rather 
uncommon  among  other  classes,  a  good  deal  of  taste 
in  the  selection  of  their  residences.  This  monastery 
is  beautifully  situated  in  a  gorge  of  two  hills,  with 
another  hill  directly  in  front.  This  does  not  furnish 
a  very  wide  prospect  in  any  direction^  but  it  makes 


282  MEMOin  OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

the  place  quiet  and  retired.  A  brick  wall  inclosing 
several  acres  of  ground  goes  round  the  monastery. 
Entering  the  mam  gate,  we  went  down  to  the  bot- 
tom of  tlie  valley,  crossed  a  little  bridge  thrown  over 
the  valley  stream,  and  ascending  a  slight  elevation 
of  some  twenty  feet  or  more,  entered  the  buildings, 
and  proceeding  through  one  or  two  large  court-yards, 
were  politely  received  by  the  monks,  and  shown  into 
the  strangers'  apartments,  a  set  of  three  or  four 
rooms,  with  some  chairs,  tables,  and  bedsteads. 
Monasteries  and  temples  are  the  principal  inns  in 
China,  though  they  seldom  furnish  more  than  four 
walls  and  a  roof.  The  traveller  is  expected  to  fur- 
nish his  own  bedding  and  food,  and  to  have  some 
one  to  prepare  it  for  him,  though  the  latter  service 
can  generally  be  performed  for  him  by  extempore 
cooks,  if  he  is  willing  to  put  up  with  the  ignorance 
of  foreign  modes,  and  the  dirty  habits  by  which  they 
are  generally  distinguished.  It  is,  however,  the 
safest  and  cheapest  plan  for  the  traveller  to  have  his 
own  servant  along ;  and  though  some  good  friend  of 
missions  at  home  may  ask  what  business  a  plain 
missionary  has  to  carry  a  servant  about  with  him, 
yet  such  would  do  well  to  consider,  that  here  we 
have  no  comfortable  inns,  with  separate  rooms  which 
we  can  lock  when  we  go  out,  and  where  everything 
in  the  shape  of  bedding  and  food  is  prepared  for  us 
by  attentive  landlords.  But  this  is  digression. — 
Being  wearied  by  the  confinement  of  our  boat,  we 
were  glad  to  get  our  supper;  and  after  a  hasty 
glance  at  the  buildings,  as  it  was  now  dark,  we  soon 
went  to  bed,  but  did  not  rest  very  well,  for  there 
was  an  abundance  of  fleas,  and  having  neglected  our 
own  musquito  curtains,  we  were  fain  to  use  some  we 
found  in  the  monastery,  which  did  not  shelter  us 
perfectly  from  the  attacks  of  the  musquitoes. 

The  hrst  buikling  is  a  large  high  structure  of  only 
one  story.  Within  it  is  about  one  hundred  feet 
long  by  seventy  broad,  and  the  roof  is  supported  by 
numerous  wooden  pillars,  standing  on  stone  bases. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  283 

The  Chinese  have  not  the  art  of  supporting  a  roof 
without  using  so  many  pillars  as  to  diminish  mate- 
rially the  effect  of  a  large  room.  The  principal  ob- 
jects in  this  room  were  three  immense  figures,  the 
Three  Precious  Buddhas.  They  were  sitting  with 
their  feet  drawn  up  like  tailors  at  work,  and  were 
of  immense  size.  Judging  from  the  base  of  the  seat 
on  which  they  sat,  and  which,  though  twelve  feet 
square,  they  quite  covered,  they  must  have  been 
eighteen  or  twenty  feet  high,  even  in  their  sitting 
posture.  They  were  richly  gilt,  and  between  them 
stood  two  attendants,  gilt  all  over,  and  perhaps 
twelve  feet  high.  They  did  not  seem  to  have  much 
worship  paid  to  them,  and  the  sparrows  which  had 
made  their  nests  in  the  roof  above,  defiled  the  place 
with  dirt.  Behind  these  figures,  and  facing  the 
other  way,  was  the  image  of  Kwan  Yin,  "  She  who 
regards  the  prayers  of  the  world,"  sitting  on  a  horse, 
(or  ass  ?)  and  carrying  a  child  in  her  arms.  Several 
attendants  stood  round  her  shrine,  which  was  alto- 
gether a  curious  specimen  of  working  in  clay.  It 
represented  the  sea,  with  numerous  rocks  and 
islands,  over  which  she  was  crossing  on  horseback. 
Along  the  ends  and  back  of  this  building,  sat  thirty- 
four  gilt  images,  each  as  large  as  the  human  figure, 
with  every  variety  of  countenance  and  dress.  In 
front  of  the  door  stood  the  most  curiously  gnarled 
tree  I  ever  saw.  Its  trunk  was  more  than  a  foot  in 
diameter ;  after  rising  up  about  six  or  eight  feet  it 
bent  back  in  a  sharp  angle  to  the  ground,  and  then 
stretched  up  again,  while  its  branches  stood  out  in 
every  direction.  It  was  inclosed  by  a  stone  railing, 
and  evidently  was  esteemed  a  great  curiosity.  There 
was  some  story  of  miraculous  appearances  connected 
with  it;  but  I  have  forgotten  what  it  is. 

Directly  behind  this  building,  and  separated 
from  it  by  a  large  square  stone-paved  court,  was 
another  sixty  by  eighty  feet  in  dimensions,  and  in 
much  better  keeping.  The  principal  objects  of  in- 
terest were  two  really  magnificent  shrines,  of  a  cir- 


284  MEMOIR   OF    WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

cular  pyramidal  shape,  one  behind  the  other.  Over 
the  hinder  one  an  immense  silken  canopy  was  sus- 
pended, lights  were  constantly  burning  before  them, 
and  some  of  the  monks  seemed  to  be  always  in  the 
building.  And  for  what,  think  you,  was  all  this  dis- 
l)lay?  Because  one  of  the  shrines  contained  a  veri- 
table 8hay-le  of  Buddh,  taken  from  his  sacred  body 
before  his  deification !  And  what  is  a  Shaif-le  ?  On 
this  point  I  can  get  but  little  satisfaction.  I  am 
told  '^  it  is  neither  gold  nor  brass,  nor  stone,  nor  yet 
bone  nor  flesh.  It  is  a  small  round  thing,  about  as 
big  as  the  half  of  a  pea,  and  looks  somewhat  like  a 
scab  from  a  sore  that  is  healing  up."  For  a  "  con- 
sideration" the  priests  will  allow  you  to  see  it,  and 
if  you  are  a  good  man,  or  likely  to  be  prosperous, 
its  color  is  red,  but  if  the  reverse,  it  will  be  black. 
As  great  honours  are  paid  to  this  valuable  relic,  as  to 
the  blood  of  St.  Januarius,  and  no  doubt  the  priests 
make  much  money  out  of  it.  My  teacher,  who  has 
of  late  some  new  views  on  some  topics,  laughs  at  it 
as  an  imposition  to  wheedle  people  out  of  their 
money.  There  are  several  idols  in  this  hall,  one  of 
wdiich  is  a  jolly  fat  old  fellow  wdth  a  continual  laugh 
on  his  face.  The  other  buildings  of  the  temple  have 
little  in  them  worthy  of  notice,  and  the  rain  was  so 
violent  that  we  wxre  obliged  to  postpone  to  another 
time  om^  purposed  visit  to  the  towers  and  grounds 
of  the  temple.  This  we  re';^retted,  as  the  two 
towers  are  each  seven  stories  high,  and  the  country 
had  a  very  pretty  appearance. 

There  are  about  thirty  monks  in  the  establish- 
ment. Those  we  saw  were  generally  pale  and  sick- 
ly looking  fellows,  with  countenances  betokening 
very  little  mental  exertion  or  worth.  The  routine 
of  their  duties  is  such,  as  must  effectually  quench 
every  noble  aspiration,  for  it  consists  in  an  unceasing 
round  of  prostrations  and  chants,  generall}^  in  an 
unknown  tongue,  and  almost  ahvays  performed 
without  the  slightest  appearance  of  devotion  or 
zeal.     It  is   marvellous   how  men   can   for   3xars 


IVIEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  285 

practise  such  insipid  ceremonies,  without  becoming 
utterly  disgusted  with  them.  One  of  the  monks 
had  deprived  himself  of  one  of  his  fingers  by  a  very 
painful  process ;  he  had  wrapped  oiled  flax  around 
it  down  to  the  middle  of  the  joint  next  the  hand, 
and  burned  it  slowly,  another  monk  reciting  prayers 
all  the  time,  till  the  finger  was  consumed.  When 
we  saw  him  the  stump  was  not  perfectly  healed. 
He  had  also  seared  the  flesh  of  one  arm  in  a  dozen 
places  with  a  hot  iron.  He  had  a  special  vow  of 
abstinence  from  covetousness,  wine,  and  lewdness, 
and  these  were  the  marks  by  which  he  made  his 
vow  generally  known.  But  notwithstanding  such 
evidences,  which,  by  the  way,  are  not  uncommon, 
the  character  of  those  who  bear  them  is  by  no 
means  good.  The  "  forbidding  to  marry,  and  com- 
manding to  abstain  from  meats, '  by  which  the  Budd- 
hist and  Taou  sects  are  distinguished,  are  followed 
by  just  the  consequences  which  all  history  teaches 
us  to  expect. 

Having  seen  all  we  wanted,  and  being  tired  of  stay- 
ing, we  began  to  think  of  going, — but  how  to  accom- 
plish it  ?  The  rain  fell  in  torrents,  and  the  road  to 
our  boat  was  flooded  the  greater  part  of  the  way  by 
a  stream  of  water  nearly  a  foot  deep.  It  was  a  reg- 
ular scene  in  wading,  and  might  have  reminded  one 
of  trout-fishing  in  the  streams  in  Pennsylvania. 
Getting  to  the  boat,  we  changed  our  wet  clothes  for 
others,  and  going  off  in  the  rain,  reached  home 
shortly  before  dark,  greatly  amused  and  profited 
by  our  trip,  though  it  had  not  turned  out  as  we  had 
expected. 

Tuesday,  October  14.  In  walking  through  the 
streets  of  Chusan,  I  was  singularly  aft'ected  by  hear- 
ing a  little  girl,  daughter  of  one  of  the  English  sol- 
diers now  stationed  here,  saying,  "my  mother  wants 
you  to  come  back  directly."  The  familiar  words 
and  English  accent  spoken  by  a  young  person  Avere 
so  different  from  the  "unknown  tongue"  spoken  by 
every  one  around,  that  they  easily  transported  my 


286  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

thouglits  to  a  land  where  all  speak  my  own  mother 
tongue.  How  strangely  it  would  now  seem,  to  be 
where  everybody  spoke  the  same  language  with 
myself! 

Tuesday,  October  21.  Started  on  a  trip  to  Poo- 
too,  one  of  the  most  celebrated  estabhshments  of  the 
Buddhists  in  China. 

Poo-too  lies  east  of  the  north-eastern  extremity 
of  Chusan.  According  to  a  Chinese  history  of  the 
island,  it  is  about  a  hundred  le,  or  a  little  over  thirty 
miles,  from  Tinghai.  A  deep  cleft  or  valley  near 
the  middle  of  the  island  reveals  the  yellow-tiled  roof 
of  one  of  the  principal  temples,  from  a  great  distance 
off,  but  the  principal  landing-place  is  at  the  south- 
eastern extremity. 

No  sooner  does  one  step  on  shore  than  he  has_ 
evidence  on  every  side  that  the  place  is  "wholly 
given  to  idolatry.'  A  small  worshipping  place  stood 
close  by  the  landing;  shrines  and  inscriptions  were 
cut  in  the  rocks  by  the  roadside,  and  a  large  red 
gateway  covered  with  tiles  announced  the  approach 
to  a  temple.  Pursuing  the  walk  a  hundred  3^ards 
further  over  a  broad  stone-paved  pathway  overhung 
by  trees,  you  enter  the  Fih-lnva-yen^  or  "white 
flowery  monastery."  Here  I  sought  for  lodgings, 
but  the  monks  seemed  not  to  desire  company,  and 
complained  of  having  met  such  uncivil  treatment 
from  foreigners  who  had  recentl}^  been  there,  that 
they  did  not  wish  to  see  any  more.  However,  they 
finally  showed  me  a  suite  of  three  or  four  rooms,  or 
rather  closets,  up  stairs,  of  which  I  took  possession, 
and  leaving  my  servant  to  keep  watch  and  get  din- 
ner ready,  I  sallied  out  to  see  what  might  be  seen. 

The  Pih-hwa-yen  is  an  old  building  built  on  a 
foundation  dug  out  of  the  hill-side,  and  almost  con- 
cealed from  sight  by  large  overhanging  trees  and 
shrubbery.  It  is  now  in  bad  repair,  and  has  an  old 
and  lacked  appearance.  Tlie  number  of  monks  is 
said  to  be  about  forty,  but  I  saw  not  more  than  ten 
or  twelve.     The  idols  and  ornaments  of  the  temple 


MEMOIK   OP   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  287 

are  all  old  and  shabby,  and  it  has  little  to  interest  a 
visitor.  In  one  of  the  main  courts  under  the  ver- 
andah were  pasted  up  twelve  or  fifteen  large  red 
cards,  presented  by  ship's  companies  with  other 
offerings  in  gratitude  to  the  gods  who  had  brought 
them  on  so  far.  Two  or  three  of  the  vessels  were 
from  Hwuif-Chow,  in  Canton,  most  of  them  from 
Cliang-Choiv^  Tseiien-chow,  and  Hing-hua^  in  Fuhkeen, 
and  only  one  from  a  seaport  in  Cheh-keang.  In  the 
evening  a  religious  ceremony  of  some  kind  was  per- 
formed by  the  old  abbot,  assisted  by  six  of  the 
monks,  with  several  of  the  young  candidates  for  the 
Buddhist  priesthood,  some  sailors  and  myself  for 
spectators.  The  abbot  put  on  a  scarlet  robe  and  a 
crown,  and  taking  an  incense  stick  in  his  hand,  per- 
formed numerous  ceremonies,  accompanied  with  a 
repetition  of  prayers  and  chanting,  in  the  chorus  of 
which  the  other  monks  joined.  But  there  was  not 
the  slightest  appearance  of  devotion,  except  perhaps 
in  the  manner  of  the  old  abbot.  The  others,  in  the 
intervals  of  the  chanting,  drank  tea,  gazed  about, 
and  talked  with  one  another,  while  the  young  can- 
didates for  the  priesthood  amused  themselves  with 
anno;^ing  one  of  the  officiating  monks,  and  putting 
baUs  in  his  chair,  to  trouble  him  when  he  sat  down. 
This  called  forth  an  angry  reproof  from  hmi,  and 
produced  a  hearty  laugh  on  their  part.  Seeing 
things  go  on  thus,  I  gave  one  of  the  spectators  a 
tract,  whereon  several  others  asked  for  some;  and 
finally  one  of  the  monks  left  his  devotions  and  came 
for  one.  I  then  said  something  on  the  folly  of  wor- 
shipping such  idols,  and  a  hearty  laugh  followed  the 
exposure  of  the  helplessness  of  their  gods.  With 
some  further  remarks  on  the  way  to  worship  the 
true  God,  and  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  I  left  them,  glad 
to  get  away  from  the  sin  and  folly  of  their  unmean- 
ing ceremonies.  They  kept  them  up  with  the  beat- 
ing of  gongs  and  drums  durmg  the  greater  part  of 
the  night. 

From  the  Pih-hwa-yen,  a  paved  stone  walk,  about 


288  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

five  feet  broad,  extends  over  a  hill  and  down  to  the 
central  valley  of  the  island,  where  the  principal 
establishment,  called  the  Seen-sz\  is  built.  On  se- 
veral of  the  large  rocks  along  this  road,  inscriptions 
are  cut  in  large  letters,  and  shrines  are  built  against, 
or  carved  out  of  the  rocks.  At  one  place  is  a  little 
shrine  with  some  characters  in  a  language  I  did  not 
know,  probably  the  Sanscrit,  and  beneath  Nan  woo 
oh  me  to  fuh,  words  that  are  constantly  and  "vainly" 
repeated  in  the  religious  ceremonies  of  the  Buddhists. 
Several  paths  branched  off  from  the  main  road, 
leading  to  smaller  yen,  or  monasteries,  in  the  re- 
cesses of  the  hills. 

Arrived  at  the  bottom  of  the  valley,  you  pass 
through  a  large  gateway,  composed  of  four  massive 
stone  pillars,  each  a  single  block  of  granite  about 
twenty  feet  high.  Beyond  this  a  few  steps  and  you 
pass,  at  right  angles,  on  the  left  another  gateway 
leading  into  the  main  buildings.  Before  coming  to 
this  gateway  is  an  inscription  carved  in  stone  to 
this  effect:  "  Every  officer,  whether  civil  or  military, 
and  all  the  common  people,  on  arriving  at  this  place, 
must  dismount  from  their  horses."  The  reason  of 
this  soon  appeared,  for  just  within  the  second  gate- 
way, and  inclosed  within  an  octagonal  tower, 
covered  w4th  yellow  tiles,  was  an  immense  marble 
tablet,  with  a  long  inscription,  presented  by  the  Em- 
peror Kanghi.  It  is  the  custom  in  China  for  all  to 
dismount  and  walk  when  passing  before  anything 
that  comes  from  the  Emperor,  though  there  was  but 
little  occasion  for  the  order  in  this  instance,  seeing 
there  is  not  a  horse  or  ass  upon  the  island. 

Be^^ond  this  is  a  pond  of  water,  with  many  of  the 
broad-leaved  lotus  plants  growing  at  each  end,  and 
a  beautifully  arched  stone  bridge  across  it.  Beyond 
this  again,  reaching  clear  to  the  base  of  the  hill, 
were  several  large  yellow-tiled  temples,  with  open 
courts  in  front,  and  two-storied  dormitories  at  either 
side  of  the  courts  for  the  monks.  In  the  temples 
were  any  number  of  huge  hideous  idols,  all  once 


3VIEM0III   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  289 

richly  ^It,  but  now  brown  with  age,  and  black  and 
dirty  with  the  smoke  of  incense.  Just  within  the 
door  of  the  main  building  was  a  shrine  for  drawing 
lots,  and  telling  fortunes,  with  the  inscription  above, 
"  Yeiv  kew  peih  ying^'  "  He  that  seeketh  will  certainly 
find  an  answer."  About  two  dozen  monks  were 
kneeling  and  chanting  in  the  main  building,  among 
whom  were  several  older  than  any  I  have  ever  seen. 
Outside  one  or  two  monks  were  superintending  the 
winnowing  of  some  paddy;  others  were  watching 
men  splitting  up  the  roots  of  an  old  tree  for  fire- 
wood, and  others  were  doing  nothing.  So  lazy  and 
good-for-nothing  a  set  as  the  Buddhist  and  Taou 
priests,  I  have  never  seen;  and  I  could  not  but  ad- 
mire the  simple  truth  with  which  one  of  the  boat- 
men described  their  occupation,  when  I  asked  him 
what  they  did,  "  Why,  sir,  they  eat  rice,  and  read 
prayers."  In  one  of  the  side  buildings,  which  is 
three  stories  high,  there  is  a  bell  five  feet  in  diame- 
ter, and  more  than  seven  feet  in  height.  It  is  beaten 
with  a  wooden  hammer,  (the  Chinese  bells  rarely 
have  clappers,)  and  its  sound  when  gently  struck, 
amidst  the  chantings  and  chorus  of  the  monks  be- 
low, was  far  from  being  unpleasant. 

Everything  about  these  buildings  showed  signs  of 
age,  neglect,  and  decay.  The  yellow  tiles,  the  gift 
of  imperial  favour,  were  falling  from  the  roofs,  grass 
was  growing  in  the  stone-paved  court-yards,  weeds 
encumbered  the  sacred  lotus  pond,  windows  and 
doors  were  falling  to  pieces,  and  the  curtains  and 
ornaments  of  the  idols  were  even  browned  with 
smoke  and  dust.  Here,  too,  there  was  but  little 
evidence  of  devotion  in  their  worship,  and  one  of  the 
monks  stopped  in  the  midst  of  his  chanting  to  ask 
me  when  I  arrived.  I  left  the  place  with  an  aching 
heart;  for  the  sight  of  these  old  men  bending  over 
the  grave,  and  yet  chanting  the  praises  of  these 
wooden  gods,  was  a  painful  subject  for  thought. 

The  next  morning  I  went  around  to  several  of  the 
smaller   monasteries,   but   saw   little    in    them   of 

25 


290  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

interest.  In  one,  the  monks  were  so  busy  divining 
for  some  sailors,  that  they  had  not  time  to  speak  to 
strangers ;  in  another,  they  were  all  gone  to  some 
other  part  of  the  island,  and  in  a  third  I  found  no 
person  except  one  old  monk,  suffering  from  disease. 
lie  was  sitting  in  a  sheltered  verandah,  with  a  little 
boy  waiting  on  him,  and  received  me  quite  politely, 
ordering  tea  to  be  brought.  He  said  he  was  seven- 
ty-one years  old ;  and  was  as  intelligent  a  man  as  I 
met  on  the  island.  In  answer  to  my  inquiries,  he 
said  that  the  beginning  of  the  monastic  establish- 
ments on  the  island  dated  as  far  back  as  the  Leang 
dynasty,  about  eight  hundred  years  ago ;  but  that 
the  Seen-sz'  and  the  IIow-sz'  were  built  in  the  Sung 
dynasty.  The  total  number  of  monks  on  the  island, 
he  affirmed,  did  not  exceed  seven  or  eight  hundred. 
I  had  been  told  the  evening  before,  at  the  How-sz' 
that  there  were  fifteen  hundred,  but  the  old  man's 
statement  is  probably  correct.  There  are  four  large, 
and  one  hundred  and  two  small  establishments  on 
the  island.  Allowing  one  hundred  monks  for  the 
largest,  and  thirty  for  the  other  three,  each,  we  have 
about  two  hundred.  All  accounts  agreed  that  in  the 
smaller  establishments  there  were  not  over  five  or 
six  in  the  average,  being  about  seven  or  eight  hun- 
dred in  all.  This  differs  widely  from  the  accounts 
of  former  visitors,  who  make  the  number  amount  to 
"  six  thousand ;"  but  I  am  satisfied  that  those  ac- 
counts are  much  larger  than  is  correct.  There  is 
not  room  in  all  the  buildings  on  the  island  to  accom- 
modate so  many. 

As  the  monk  with  whom  I  was  now  talking  was 
old  and  sick,  and  might  soon  die,  I  felt  it  to  be  a 
duty  to  point  out  to  him,  however  imperfectly,  the 
way  of  eternal  life  beyond  the  grave ;  but  though 
he  understood  the  most  of  what  was  said,  and  as- 
sented to  it  as  very  good  and  proper,  it  seemed  to 
make  little  impression  upon  him.  He  said  that  after 
death  he  expected  still  to  abide  among  the  hills  of 
this  island,  which  had  now  been  his  home  for  more 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  291 

than  fifty  years.  When  asked  how  he  expected  to 
secure  happiness  beyond  the  grave,  he  replied,  ''By 
worshipping  Buddh,  and  making  many  prayers."  I 
set  before  him  as  well  as  I  could  the  way  of  Kfe 
through  Christ, — to  which  he  listened  attentively, 
and  remarked,  "There  were  some  foreigners  here 
several  years  ago,  who  taught  the  same  doctrine  that 
you  do;"  referring  doubtless  to  the  visit  of  Messrs. 
Medhurst  and  Stevens.  On  coming  away  I  gave 
him  several  tracts,  which  he  received  grateiully.  Oh 
that  the  truth  which  he  has  thus  heard  more  than 
once,  may  be  blessed  to  him,  even  in  this,  the  eleventh 
hour!  After  strolling  about  a  little  longer,  I  left 
the  island  at  eleven  o'clock,  a.  m.,  and  reached  Ting- 
hai  near  sunset. 

Nov.  26.  Saw  a  wedding  procession,  which  must 
have  been  several  hundred  yards  long,  and  numbered 
several  hundreds  of  people.  A  crowd  of  men  and 
boys  bearing  banners  and  inscriptions  went  in  front, 
some  trumpets  and  cymbals  followed,  then  seven  or 
eight  men  on  horseback,  then  a  couple  of  oiO&cers, 
one  bearing  a  white,  and  the  other  a  gilt  button  in 
their  caps ;  then  the  bride's  chair,  a  really  beautiful 
article,  elegantly  painted,  carved  and  gilded,  borne 
by  eight  men ;  but  the  bride  was  quite  too  well  in- 
closed to  be  seen;  then  several  men  bearing  orna- 
mental bedding-clothes  and  pillows,  Avhich  form  a 
part  of  the  marriage  presents,  and  are  always  osten- 
tatiously displayed;  while  no  less  than  twenty-one 
sedan  chairs  brought  up  the  rear.  The  lady  was 
said  to  be  the  daughter  of  an  officer  of  rank. 

Dec.  1.  I  congratulated  my  teacher  on  the  birth 
of  his  daughter.  "No,  no,  we  do  not  congratulate 
here  on  the  birth  of  a  daughter."  "  No !  why  not?" 
"  Oh,  they  are  a  great  expense,  and  very  little  profit 
to  us."  This  led  to  some  conversation  on  the  treat- 
ment of  females,  and  finally  to  the  question,  whether 
there  was  such  a  thing  as  female  infanticide  in  this 

Eart  of  the  country,  he  replied  quickly,  "No,  not 
ere,  but  there  is  m  Canton,  and  in  some  parts  of 


292  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    IX)WRIE. 

Fuhkeen."  "Is  there  none  at  all  here?"  "No,  not 
in  Ningpo,  but  in  the  city  of  Funghwa,  (a  city  about 
twenty  miles  off,  and  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Che-foo  of  Ningpo,)  there  is.  It  is  called  neih-sz\ 
or  death  bj  drowning,  for  when  the  child  is  born, 
if  it  be  a  gni,  the  parents  or  assistants  often  heap 
water  on  it,  in  pretence  of  washing  it,  but  in  such  a 
w^ay  that  it  dies !"  He  made  this  statement  very 
unwillingly,  and  with  many  exclamations  of  horror, 
and  finally  added,  "But  of  late  years,  since  the 
Funghwa  people  have  begun  to  understand  ridit  rea- 
son and  propriety,  there  is  none  of  it."  Notwithstand- 
ing this  assertion,  there  is  sufficient  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  this  horrid  custom  prevails,  not  only  in 
Funghwa,  but  in  other  places  in  this  province ;  but 
to  nothing  like  the  extent  in  which  it  is  common  in 
some  parts  of  Fuhkeen. 


To  THE  Society  of  Inquiry,  Princeton  Theological 
Seminary. 

Ningpo,  November  1st,  1845. 

Dear  Brethren — In  a  letter  from  the  Corres- 
ponding Secretary  of  your  Committee  on  Foreign 
Missions,  dated  October  16th,  1844,  which  has  been 
lying  by  me  since  April  19,  1845,  there  are  three 
definite  questions  and  a  caiie  blanche,  the  answers 
and  "  filHng  up  "  of  all  of  which  would  occupy  more 
time  and  paper  than  I  have  to  spare ;  and,  probably, 
more  patience  than  you  have  to  give.  Ferhaps  I 
shall  not  err  in  ansAvering  the  questions  first,  and 
then  adding  what  may  come  uppermost,  or  find 
room. 

In  regard  to  Morrison's  translation  of  the  Bible 
into  Chinese,  a  singular  misconception  has  long  pre- 
vailed among  the  supporters  of  missions,  both  in 
England  and  America.  It  is  not  three  years  since 
one  of  the  warmest,  and  generally  speaking,  one  of 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  293 

the  best  informed  friends  of  missions  in  England, 
asserted,  in  opposition  to  the  united  and  unanimous 
voice  of  the  Protestant  Missionaries  in  China,  that 
"  Morrison's  translation  of  the  Scriptures  was  nearly 
perfect,  and  another  was  unnecessary."  This  was, 
to  say  the  least,  rather  a  venturesome  remark  from 
one  who  did  not  know  a  word  of  Chinese !  .  .  . 

I  can  answer  your  question,  "Is  the  translation  use- 
ful or  intelligible  ? "  by  saying  it  is  useful,  but  is  not 
adapted  for  general  circulation.  When  we  are  explain- 
ing the  Scripture  history  or  doctrine  in  private  con- 
versation, it  is  of  use,  because  it  is  sufficiently  intelli- 
gible, with  such  cautions  and  explanations  as  we  can 
give  orally,  to  give  those  with  whom  we  speak  a 
fuller  idea  of  the  truth.  It  is  of  use  to  give  to  our 
converts,  for  you  know  the  converted  man  finds 
good  when  the  impenitent  turns  away  in  disgust ; 
and  the  converts  will  naturally  come  to  us  for  ex- 
planation. And  it  is  also  of  use  to  those  who  may 
prepare  a  new  translation.  But  it  is  not,  as  I  think, 
adapted  for  general  circulation,  nor  would  I  will- 
ingly give  a  copy  to  a  heathen,  except  under  favour- 
able circumstances.  These  same  remarks  apply  in 
great  measure  to  Dr.  Marshman's  translation,  wdiich 
was  finished  about  the  same  time  with  Morrison's, 
and  has  never  had  an  extensive  circulation. 

You  also  ask,  "What  progress  has  been  made 
towards  remedying  its  defects?"  A  good  deal  as 
regards  the  New  Testament ;  but  as  it  regards  the 
Old,  almost  none.  We  have  two  other  translations 
of  the  New  Testament;  one  by  GutzlafF,  which  is 
not  much  used ;  and  another  by  Medhurst,  assisted 
by  John  R.  Morrison,  Bridgman,  and  others.  The 
latter  is  the  one  in  common  use ;  and  it  is  in  general 
intelligible  and  good,  though  paraphrastic  some- 
times, and  far  from  l3eing  perfect.  A  number  of 
the  missionaries,  both  English  and  American,  are 
now  engaged  in  a  revision  of  it;  but  it  may  be 
several  years  before  it  is  completed.  When  the  Old 
Testament  will  be  revised  and  published,  I  have  no 

25* 


294  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

idea.  I  hope  to  live  to  see  the  time,  and,  perhaps, 
to  take  some  part  in  it,  bnt  it  will  not  be  soon. 
There  is  yet  a  great  work  to  be  done  in  this  respect, 
and  perhaps  some  of  you  may  be  called  to  assist  in 
it.  The  translation  of  the  Scriptures  into  Chinese 
is  a  great,  difficult,  and  most  important  work,  and 
the  preparation  of  Comments  and  Notes  upon  them 
"vvill  require  the  labours  of  many  men  for  many  years. 
You  can  have  but  little  idea  of  the  strange  notions 
they  gather  from  expressions  that  are  as  common  to 
us  as  the  air  we  breathe.  .  .  . 

I  have  gone  over  the  Gospel  of  Luke  very  care- 
fully w-ith  my  teacher,  who  passes  for  a  learned 
man  in  Mngpo,  and  his  mistakes  and  misconceptions 
have  been  both  amusing  and  painful.  This  arises 
in  part  from  the  imperfection  of  the  translation ;  in 
part  from  an  utter  and  characteristic  ignorance  of 
the  geography  and  history  of  erery  other  nation  but 
China;  in  part  from  the  use  of  figures  and  compari- 
sons unknown  in  China.  Some  people  say,  '^The 
Bible  is  an  Oriental  book,  and  the  Chinese  are  an 
Oriental  people,  therefore,  they  can  easily  under- 
stand it."  But  unfortunately  the  Chinese  are  as 
much  beyond  "the  East"  on  one  side  as  America 
is  on  the  other ;  and  therefore  the  remark  is  very 
unfounded,  in  part  from  inattention  and  w^ant  of 
interest  in  the  subject,  and  in  part  from  the  "thick 
darkness  "  wdth  which  idolatry  and  superstition  have 
enshrouded  even  the  mental,  and  much  more  the 
moral  perceptions.  Oh  brethren!  if  you  were  here 
but  a  few"  days,  you  would  understand  something  of 
the  necessity  for  the  Spirit's  influences  to  open  the 
understanding,  and  pour  light  into  the  heart;  and  of 
the  feelings  of  the  prophet,  w^hen  commanded  to 
prophesy  to  the  dry  bones.  Pray  for  us.  So  thick 
IS  the  "veil  of  the  covering  cast  over"  the  minds  of 
the  heathen,  that  were  it  not  for  w^hat  God  can  do, 
the  Missionary  enterprise  w^ould  be  as  fantastic  a 
scheme  of  folly  as  the  brain  of  man  ever  devised. 
If  it  w^ere  not  for  the  hope,  the  behef  of  what  God 


MEMOIR   OF   WiVLTER   M.   LOWRIE.  295 

will  do,  I  would  not  be  a  missionary  for  another 
day.  It  requires  but  a  few  years'  experience  in  the 
missionary  field  to  learn  that  it  is  not  talents  nor 
learning,  important  as  these  are,  but  piety  and 
prayer,  that  are  chiefly  requisite  in  a  missionary. 
*'Not  by  might  nor  by  power,  but  by  my  Spirit, 
saith  the  Lord."  Oh  that  my  own  heart  and  prac- 
tice were  more  deeply  influenced  by  this  conviction, 
and  that  the  churches  at  home  felt  it  more  ! 

You  ask  for  my  "  impressions  regarding  the 
climate  of  China."  Having  not  yet  had  a  full  ex- 
perience of  the  chmate  so  far  north  as  my  present 
residence,  I  cannot  answer  you  so  fully  as  may  be 
desirable  ;  but  what  I  know  is  briefly  as  follows  : 
In  the  Canton  province,  and  the  climate  at  Amoy 
is  not  materially  different,  warm  weather  prevails 
for  nine  months  in  the  year;  of  which  four  or  ^\q 
are  oppressive,  Avhile  the  months '  of  December, 
January,  and  February,  are  pleasant  and  cool. 
The  natives  and  the  Portuguese  at  Macao  do  not 
use  fires  in  their  houses,  but  the  English  and  Ame- 
ricans find  them  very  agreeable.  During  three 
years,  the  lowest  I  ever  saw  the  thermometer  was 
45°,  while  it  generally  in  the  cool  Aveather  ranged 
between  50°  and  60°  of  Fahrenheit.  I  never  used 
a  cloak  but  once  or  twice,  except  in  my  room, 
where,  as  I  sat  without  a  fire,  it  was  needful.  In 
the  long  warm  seasons  m}'-  health  suffered,  and  I 
became  languid  and  thinner  than  usual,  in  August 
and  September.  Most  persons  suffer  in  the  same 
way,  but  the  winter,  or  rather  the  cool  weather, 
for  ice  and  snow  are  almost  never  seen,  is  invigora- 
ting, and  many  enjoy  better  health  than  in  their 
own  land.  I  consider  the  climate  at  Macao  and 
Canton  as  decidedly  healthy;  and  excepting  the 
indisposition  above  referred  to,  which,  however, 
never  confined  me  a  whole  day  to  the  couch,  I  never 
was  better  at  home.  The  circumstances  which  have 
made  Amoy  and  Hong  Kong  unhealthy,  I  do  not 
think  will  have  a  permanent  influence  3  nor  should 


296  MEMOIR  OF  WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

I  have  the  slightest  hesitation  or  fear  in  going  to 
either  of  these  places.  It  would  seem,  however, 
from  facts  already  observed,  that  northern  men  bear 
the  climate  better  than  southern,  though  reasoning 
a  priori  many  would  think  differently. 

In  Shanghai  and  Ningpo,  the  climate  is  different. 
We  have  pleasant,  cool,  and  cold  weather,  for  nine 
months,  and  warm  weather  for  three,  July  and  August, 
and  parts  of  June  and  September.  Of  the  warm  wea- 
ther six  weeks  are  uncomfortably  hot,  if  anything, 
worse  than  at  Macao.  I  have  not  yet  had  the  plea- 
sure of  experiencing  the  cold  weather  here  io  its  per- 
fection, though  I  retain  a  vivid  recollection  of  the  cold- 
ness of  my  fingers  and  ears  on  approaching  Shanghai 
in  March,  when  the  cold  weather  was  nearly  over, 
and  of  the  strange  sensations  excited,  by  seeing 
my  breath  come  out  in  thick  steam,  and  sleeping 
under  a  load  of  bed-clothes,  things  to  which  I  had 
been  a  stranger  for  more  than  three  years.  The 
thermometer  falls  below  25° ;  ice  and  snow  are  seen 
every  winter ;  and  fur  clothes,  which  are  cheap  and 
good,  are  worn  to  an  extent  that  would  surprise  3^ou. 
Yet  even  here,  the  inhabitants  do  not  use  fires,  but 
content  themselves  with  abundance  of  cotton  gar- 
ments, (ten  and  fifteen  jackets  worn  at  once  are  not 
uncommon,)  wadded  clothes,  and  furs,  with  small 
foot-stoves,  and  finger-stoves.  But  I  do  not  see 
how  we  can  do  without  fires.  The  climate  is  sub- 
ject to  frequent  and  considerable  changes.  I  have 
seen  the  thermometer  rise  from  34°  to  84°  in  a  few 
days  in  March,  and  fall  back  to  40°  in  forty  hours ; 
and  after  experiencing  warm  weather  in  June,  I 
have  put  on  woollen  stockings  in  July.  A  fall  of 
twenty  degrees  in  a  few  hours  is  not  uncommon, 
and  is  sensibly  felt.  It  is  now  quite  cool,  the  ther- 
mometer being  below  sixt}^,  except  in  the  middle  of 
the  day  ;  and  the  merchants'  shops  present  a  busy 
and  rich  scene,  from  the  quantity  of  fine  furs  dis- 
played in  them.  I  am  looking  forward  with  some 
interest  to  the  return  of  snow  and  ice,  things  which 


MEMOIR   OF    WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  297 

I  have  not  seen  for  nearly  four  years.  My  im- 
pressions of  the  climate  of  Ningpo  are  very  favour- 
able, though  the  last  summer  being  cooler  than 
usual,  did  not   afford  a  very  good  opportunity  of 

knowing  precisely  what  it  is Tnere 

are  also  two  or  three  disagreeably  damp  seasons  in 
the  summer,  of  two  or  three  weeks'  continuance, 
when  rain  pours  down  in  torrents  ;  and  if  it  does 
not  rain,  you  feel  as  if  the  very  air  was  damp  and 
cloudy ;  and  the  perspiration  will  gather  on  the 
stones  in  the  wall,  even  when  the  sun  is  shining 
outside.  Such  weather  is  hard  on  books,  clothes, 
and  animal  spirits  ;   but  it  is  of  short  continuance. 

We  get  plenty  to  eat  here,  but  not  a  very  great 
variety,  as  the  inhabitants  have  not  yet  learned  to 
provide  for  foreigners,  as  they  have  at  Macao  and 
Canton.  Goat's  flesh,  pork,  hams,  chickens,  ducks, 
and  geese,  are  our  principal  meats  ;  though  in  win- 
ter, wild-ducks,  pheasants,  and  hares,  are  cheaper 
than  anything  else.  Fish  of  several  kinds  we  have 
all  the  year  round ;  wheat,  rice,  and  a  httle  buck- 
wheat, form  the  staff  of  life ;  sweet  potatoes,  tur- 
nips, egg-plants,  bean  sprouts,  bamboo  sprouts,  taro, 
beans,  peas,  Kaou-hah^  onions,  and  greens,  are  our 
chief  vegetables ;  and  for  fruits  we  have  peaches, 
pears,  plums,  lichees,  persimmons,  pomegranates, 
and  oranges,  with  walnuts,  chestnuts,  and  pea-nuts. 
You  will  say,  "  This  is  a  goodly  hst."  True,  and  we 
are  thankful  to  enjoy  so  many  of  God's  good  gifts 
here  ;  nor  do  we  complain  when  we  remember  that 
few  of  them  are  so  good  as  those  you  eat  in  the 
United  States ;  whilst  beef,  such  at  least  as  may 
be  called  good,  Irish  potatoes,  and  apples,  are  sel- 
dom seen.  I  have  tasted  none  of  either  in  many 
months,  nor  apples,  which  are  worth  all  the  oranges 
of  China,  for  years ;  nor  do  we  get  all  these  things 
at  once.  I  find  in  my  market-book,  (for  w^e  bache- 
lors have  to  attend  to  such  things  ourselves  often- 
times,) that  for  weeks  together,  l)r.  McCartee  and 
I  sat  down  together  to  a  table,  of  which  the  chief 


298  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

dishes  were,  chickens,  or  fish,  bamboo  sprouts,  tur- 
nips, and  bean  sprouts,  with  bread,  rice  and  eggs. 
It  is  hard  to  say  what  we  shoukl  do  Avithout  eggs. 
When  the  egg-plants  came  we  were  delighted,  and 
when  the  sweet  potatoes  w^ere  fit  to  eat,  we  were 
satisfied !  The  married  missionaries  do  not  fare 
any  better  than  we  bachelors,  though  they  doubtless 
have  some  things  nicer  ! 

For  the  particularity  of  the  above  statements,  I 
do  not  think  it  necessary  to  make  any  apology, 
though  the  pronoun  "  L"  occurs  wdth  a  frequency 
that  is  somewhat  starthng ;  perhaps  it  may  be  some 
excuse,  that  they  are  written  in  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion, "  What  are  my  impressions  ?" 

Your  last  question,  "  The  magnitude  of  the  field 
and  the  prospects  of  the  mission  ?"  is  one  on  which 
a  volume  might  be  written,  but  the  space  already 
consumed  warns  me  to  be  brief,  the  more  so  as  I 
ma}^  have  an  occasion  hereafter  to  refer  to  it.  I 
can  only  say  this  :  Few  have  any  idea  of  the  extent 
of  the  ground  that  is  opened  and  opening  to  our 
labours,  and  none  know  where  the  things  will  end, 
wdiose  beginnings  we  have  lived  to  witness.  The 
opening  of  China  to  foreign  intercourse,  is  an  event 
which  finds  few  parallels  in  the  history  of  the  world. 
This  country  is  a  world  in  itself;  and  the  thought 
has  often  occurred  to  me,  wdiile  traversing  its  beau- 
tiful plains  and  crowded  streets,  ^'What  a  world 
has  been  revolving  here  of  which  Christendom  knows 
nothing  !"  I  have  been  led  to  make  excursions  of 
twenty  or  thirty  miles  into  the  interior,  from  each 
of  the  cities  of  Amoy,  Shangliai,  and  Ningpo,  and 
everywhere  the  country  is  like  a  vast  beehive, 
swarming  with  inhabitants.  It  is  the  same  about 
Canton,  where  I  have  also  been,  and  doubtless  the 
same  about  Foo-chow.  I  have  not  known  what  it 
is  to  be  out  of  sight  of  a  human  habitation  since  I 
have  been  in  China,  and  where  there  is  one  there  are 
commonly  ten.  I  have  scarcely  ever  seen  a  little 
valley,  or  a  hollow  among  the  hills,  where  industry 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  299 

could  cultivate  a  bed  of  rice,  or  a  crop  of  greens, 
that  was  not  occupied.  It  is  scarcely  an  exagge- 
ration to  say,  that  temples  and  monasteries  are  as 
common  here  as  farm-houses  in  Pennsylvania,  and  I 
have  seen  the  streets  of  Ningpo  crowded  with  many 
ten  thousands  of  people,  to  see  an  idolatrous  pro- 
cession in  honour  of  "  all  the  gods."  Now  all  this 
vast  and  teeming  population  of  idolaters  must  have 
the  gospel,  or  perish.  Books  will  not  do  the  work. 
It  is  the  living  teacher  who  must  speak  unto  them 
the  words  of  life.  Such  is  the  field  we  cultivate. 
As  to  our  prospects,  you  have  them  in  the  concluding 
verses  of  Psalm  cxxvi. : 

They  that  sow  in  tears, 

With  shoutings  shall  gather  the  harvest. 

Going  he  shall  go,  even  with  weeping,  burdened  with  the  seed  to  he 

sown : 
Coming  he  shall  come,  and  with  shouting,  burdened  with  his  sheaves. 

It  is  nearly  midnight,  and  I  must  draw  to  a  close 
without  referring  to  other  topics,  which,  if  this  letter 
were  not  already  full  enough,  might  be  of  interest. 
Full  notices  of  the  mission  you  will  probably  see 
in  the  Chronicle  before  long,  and  I  have  omitted 
them  here. 

Brethren,  whatever  your  own  course  may  be, 
whether  to  come  to  the  missionary  field,  or  to  cul- 
tivate the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  at  home,  there  is 
one  thing  we  pray  you  to  bear  in  mind,  "  It  is 
God  who  giveth  the  increase,"  and  if  success  do 
not  attend  one's  labour,  the  reason  will  probably 
be  found  in  the  fact  that  He  is  not  inquired  of  by 
his  people  respecting  this  thing,  to  do  it  for  them. 
Pray  for  us. 

I  am  yours  in  the  bonds  of  the  Gospel, 

W.    M.    LOWRIE. 


300  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 


Ningpo,  December  5th,  1845. 

My  Dear  Father —  ....  I  have  mj  commen- 
tary on  Luke,  which  with  the  text  will  make  a 
handsome  volume  of  a  hundred  pages,  ready  for  the 
press,  and  trust  it  will  be  of  use.  The  style  is  pure 
and  good  Chinese,  for  it  is  written  by  my  teacher, 
and  I  know  the  sentiments  to  be  correct,  though 
sometimes  not  as  full  or  clear  as  I  could  have 
wished.  My  teacher  said  to  me,  I  suppose,  twenty 
times  while  preparing  it,  "  How  can  you  expect  us 
to  understand  this  book  ?  /do  not  understand  it, 
who  have  been  reading  books  all  my  life,  and  how 
can  less  learned  persons  comprehend  it?"  The 
doctrines,  historical  allusions,  geography,  customs, 
e.  g.,  washing  the  feet,  comparisons,  everything  is 
strange  ;  and  when  joined  to  an  imperfect  transla- 
tion, it  is  not  to  be  thought  that  a  careless  heathen 
can  understand  such  a  book.  At  the  risk  of  being 
thought  a  heretic,  I  must  say  I  think  the  oft-re- 
peated phrase,  "  The  Bible  without  note  or  com- 
ment," is  in  danger  of  being  pushed  so  far,  as  to 
fall  over  and  do  harm.  However  true  it  is  and 
correct  under  limitations,  it  is  not  correct  in  itself. 
It  is  not  true  in  fact,  that  our  people  at  home  read 
it  "  without  note  or  comment ;  for  there  is  no  one 
who  does  not  hear  many  a  note  and  comment  from 
parent,  teacher,  friend  or  minister,  and  there  are  few 
who  do  not  form  their  opinions  of  most  of  it  from 
such  "  notes  and  comments."  If  these  and  innu- 
merable commentaries  besides,  are  needed  in  a  land 
of  so  much  hght  as  America,  what  must  be  the 
case  in  China  ?  "  Without  note  and  comment  "  is 
true,  so  far  as  authoritative  and  infallible  exposition 
is  intended  ;  and  also,  if  it  be  meant  that  the  sim- 
ple text,  when  understood,  is  to  be  carefuU}"  studied 
and  pondered  in  the  Christian  hours  of  devotion; 
but  I  humbly  conceive  there  is  danger  if  it  be  ex- 
tended much  beyond  these  limits.  However,  I 
ought  to  redect  that  you  have  thought  on  the  sub- 


RfEMOm   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  301 

ject  long  enough  not  to  need  such  a  "  lesson  "  from 
me I  was^  deeply  grieved  to  hear  of  the  ac- 
cident you  met  with  but  thankful  it  was  no  worse. 
How  many  strange  accidents  we  miss,  within  a 
hair's-breadth  of  them,  though  unawares.  We  shall 
doubtless  often  wonder  when  we  get  to  heaven,  and 
look  back  on  our  past  life,  that  amidst  so  many 
dangers  it  was  prolonged  so  long. 

....  After  a  good  deal  of  thought,  I  am  about 
settling  down  to  the  opinion,  that  I  ought  to  aim  at 
a  pretty  full  knowledge  of  books  and  writing  in 
Chinese.  In  a  mission  so  large  as  ours,  and  where 
we  have  a  press,  there  must  be  some  one  tolerably 
at  home  on  some  points.  Now,  I  have  been  so  cir- 
cumstanced, as  to  be  obliged  to  turn  my  thoughts 
much  that  way,  somewhat  to  the  disadvantage  of 
my  speaking  fluently,  and  I  am  so  still.  I  have  laid 
such  a  foundation  of  acquaintance  with  the  written 
language,  as  enables  me  to  go  on  with  some  ease, 
and  such  as  the  other  brethren  can  scarcely  be  ex- 
pected to  do  in  some  time.  They  are  accordingly 
outstripping  me  in  the  colloquial,  though  I  have 
the  advantage  in  the  books,  and  can  easily  keep  it 
up.  My  education  and  previous  habits  are  also 
such  as  fit  me  more  for  this  than  for  minghng 
among  men,  unless  actually  obliged  to  do  so.  I 
propose,  therefore,  not  to  neglect  the  colloquial,  but 
to  lay  out  a  good  portion  of  my  strength  on  reading 
and  writing  Chinese ;  keeping  in  view,  chiefly,  the 
translation  of  the  Scriptures,  and  works  explana- 
tory of  them,  and  perhaps  the  preparation  of  ele- 
mentary books,  and  it  may  be  a  dictionary,  a  thing 
we  are  greatly  in  want  of.  What  do  you  think  of 
this  plan  ?  You  will  not  think  I  mean  to  neglect 
the  great  work  of  preaching,  for  I  trust  to  be  able 
in  the  course  of  next  year  to  undertake  regular  ser- 
vices. I  might  do  it  now,  if  I  had  no  accounts  to 
keep,  letters  to  write,  and  advice  and  assistance  to 
give  to  others,  especiaUy  in  the  matter  of  the  print- 
mg  office.     That  you  may  see  how  much  I  have 

26 


302  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

been  hindered  one  way  and  another  since  coming  to 
China,  I  may  say  that  though  it  is  nearly  four  years 
since  I  left  you,  yet  I  have  had  a  teacher,  and  by 
consequence  haA^e  been  studying  the  language  effec- 
tively, only  twenty-three  months,  and  of  those,  three 
are  hardl}^  worth  counting  from  the  interruptions 
I  met.  I  sometimes  felt  quite  discouraged,  and 
now  feel  ashamed  to  think  I  have  been  here  so 
long,  and  done  so  little.  .  .  . 

With     many    affectionate    remembrances     and 
prayers, 

I  am,  as  ever,  your  affectionate   son, 

W.    M.    LOWRIE. 


CHAPTEH    VII 

1846. 


Missionary  Labours  at  Ningpo— Heathen  Customs— Superstitious  Fears — 
Preaching  in  Chinese. 

During  this  year  the  missions  in  China  were 
further  strengthened  by  the  arrival  at  Canton  of 
the  Rev.  John  B.  French,  and  the  Rev.  William 
Spear  and  his  wife,  and  at  Ningpo,  of  the  Rev.  J. 
W.  Quarterman.  The  British  troops  were  this  year 
withdraAvn  from  Chusan,  and  as  the  Chinese  author- 
ities would  not  permit  foreigners  to  reside  there, 
Mr.  Loomis  and  his  wife  removed  to  Ningpo. 

Mr.  Lowrie's  study  of  the  Chinese  language, 
while  in  Macao,  as  already  stated,  was  much  inter- 
rupted by  the  business  matters  of  the  different  mis- 
sions. The  Mandarin  dialect,  which  he  studied  at 
Macao,  is  not  spoken  in  the  south  of  China,  and 
hence  he  could  converse  in  it  with  his  teacher  only. 
This  he  found  to  be  a  serious  disadvantage.  The 
Ningpo  and  Mandarin  dialects  are  as  different  from 
each  other  as  the  French  is  from  the  Spanish.     In 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  303 

learning  to  speak  the  former,  he  had  therefore  to 
begin  anew,  with  the  advantage  however  of  hearing 
it  daily  spoken  by  the  inhabitants.  But  here  also  his 
time  was  a  c?ood  deal  taken  up  with  the  business  of 
the  Ningpo  Mission,  and  correcting  the  proof-sheets 
of  works  issued  from  the  press.  So  many,  and  such 
long-continued  adverse  circumstances,  at  times  al- 
most produced  discouragement  in  his  own  mind,  as 
it  regarded  the  spoken  language.  But  even  in  it 
his  progress  was  not  slow;  in  less  than  eighteen 
months  he  commenced  preaching  in  Chinese.  His 
knowledge  of  the  written  language  was  more  satis- 
factory to  himself.  In  August  he  wrote  several 
essays,  which  were  published  in  the  Chinese  Reposi- 
tory, on  the  proper  Chinese  words  to  be  used  in  trans- 
lating the  name  of  God  into  Chinese.  These  were 
among  the  first  pieces  that  were  published  on  the 
side  of  the  question  so  ably  sustained  since  b}'"  Doc- 
tors Boone  and  Bridgman. 

In  September  he  commenced  the  preparation  of 
a  dictionary  of  the  "  Four  Books,"  and  afterwards 
he  decided  to  include  also  the  '^Five  Classics." 
These  books  contain  the  body  of  the  Chinese  lan- 
guage, and  if  his  life  had  been  spared,  he  would, 
no  doubt,  have  made  it  a  dictionary  of  the  whole 
language.  He  became  much  interested  in  this 
work,  and  had  even  to  guard  himself  against  be- 
ing drawn  aside  from  his  appropriate  work  of 
preaching  the  gospel. 

The  letters  and  journals  of  this  period  throAv 
much  light  on  the  interior  working  of  the  mission 
at  Ningpo,  and  still  further  tend  to  elucidate  the 
state  and  condition  of  the  native  population.  Other 
subjects  are  occasionally  adverted  to.  One  of  much 
importance,  in  relation  to  the  return  of  missionaries, 
is  noticed  in  a  letter  to  one  of  the  members  of  the 
Executive  Committee.  It  would  be  out  of  place 
here  to  examine  the  views  there  presented ;  but  the 
whole  subject  is  worthy  of  far  more  consideration 
than  it  has  yet  received  from  the  Church  at  home. 


304  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

About  this  time  his  views  on  the  Millennium  un- 
derwent a  change.  After  examining  the  subject,  he 
was  led  to  embrace  the  opinion  that  our  blessed 
Lord  would  personally  appear  ,  on  the  earth,  before 
the  blessings  promised  concerning  the  Church 
would  be  fulfilled.  His  views  on  the  subject, 
however,  conflicted  in  no  degree  with  the  present 
duty  of  the  Church  to  preach  the  gospel  to  all  the 
world ;  and  that  as  the  Millennium  would  not  come 
till  the  gospel  was  so  preached,  it  was  an  additional 
inducement  to  Christian  effort,  in  tending  to  hasten 
the  glories  of  the  latter  days.  He  held  these  views 
calml}^  to  the  last;  and  when  he  spoke  or  wrote  on 
the  subject,  it  was  without  bitterness,  and  more 
with  a  view  to  present  the  spiritual  than  the  contro- 
versial aspect  of  the  questions  involved. 


Ningpo,  January  1st,  1846. 

A  happy  New  Year  to  you,  my  dear  mother,  and 
very  many  of  them !  is  a  wish  that,  if  I  had  the 
power,  would  certainly  be  accomplished ;  and  yet, 
though  I  might  have  the  power,  I  might  not  have  the 
wisdom  necessary  to  make  it  a  blessing.  So  I  will 
change  it  to  the  prayer,  that  He  who  knows  what  is 
best  for  us,  and  loves  us  far  better  than  any  earthly 
friend  can  love  another,  would  give  you  such  length 
of  days,  and  such  enjoyment  therein  as  will  make 
you  most  useful  here,  and  most  blessed  hereafter. 
New  Year's  morning !  Although  it  be  only  an  arbi- 
trary distinction  that  makes  this  day  more  impor- 
tant than  any  other  of  the  year,  for  each  day  is  the 
point  of  "confluence  of  two  eternities,"  yet  con- 
sent has  erected  it  into  a  sort  of  elevation  to  look 
back  over  the  past,  so  rapidly  fading  from  view,  and 
to  strain  our  weak  eyes  into  the  unknown  future. 
How  nttle  we  can  know  of  the  one,  and  how  feebly 
we  estimate  the  importance  of  the  other ! 

Although   I   always   look  forward  to  the  New 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  305 

Year  with  some  such  feelings  as  these,  yet  it  always 
takes  me  by  surprise,  and  I  find  it  difficult  in  looking 
back  to  the  last  one  to  realize  the  events  that  have 
occurred  and  passed  away.  How  many  events  must 
have  occurred  in  your  larger  circle  of  friends !  Here, 
few  as  are  those  I  know,  yet  I  find  strange  alterations 
in  the  last  year.  A  fellow-passenger  in  the  Huntress 
(Mr.  King)  died,  and  was  buried  in  the  Red  8ea. 
One  of  my  warmest  friends,  Mrs.  Sword,  has  been 
called  home.  She  was  always  exceedingly  afraid 
to  die,  and  yet  when  called  away,  though  fully 
sensible  of  it,  fear  had  entirely  departed,  and  peace 
reigned.  It  makes  me  feel  desolate  sometimes 
to  think  of  such  friends  departing,  and  she  is  not 
the  only  one  whom  the  last  3^ear  has  removed  me 
from,  though  the  others  are  not  dead,  but  only 
farther  off,  and  to  remember  again  that  I  am  a 
stranger  in  the  earth;  but  then  it  is  pleasant,  too, 
for  the  separation  is  but  temporary.  I  have  no  pa- 
tience with  those  stoics  who  maintain  that  we  shall 
not  know  our  friends  in  heaven.  Certainly  the 
Spirit  of  Christ  alone  would  fill  our  cup  of  joy  even 
to  overflowing,  but  why  should  not  those  who  in 
tears  and  temptations  and  prayers  served  him  here, 
and  encouraged  each  other  in  the  upward  course,  re- 
joice with  joy  unspeakable  together  there?  We 
shall  remember  the  way  by  which  we  were  led 
through  this  "great  and  terrible  wilderness,"  and 
shall  Ave  forget  the  kind  words  spoken,  the  cup  of 
water,  the  look  of  affection  and  encouragement 
more  eloquent  than  words,  and  more  soothing  than 
the  sweetest  harmony  ?  I  do  not  believe  it.  Christ 
said  to  his  disciples  that  those  who  had  "continued 
with  him  in  his  temptations,"  should  sit  with  him 
in  his  glory,  and  if  we  hold  communion  with  Him 
in  this  respect,  why  not  with  one  another?  We 
shall  have  bodies  as  well  as  souls  in  heaven,  "spirit- 
ual" it  is  true,  but  "bodies"  still;  we  shall  have 
human  affections,  too,  freed  from  all  sin ;  and  if  such 
affections  form  our  sweetest  and  most  satisfying 


306  MEMOIK   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

solace  here,  what  will  they  be  there?  But  I  did 
not  mean  to  write  all  this,  for  I  was  thinking  of  other 
things  when  I  commenced. 

Here  I  am,  after  vo3^aging  and  tossing  about 
again  on  the  rough  sea.  I  am  now  settled  down  in 
the  field  I  have  long  been  looking  to.  I  have  made 
some  little  progress  in  the  language,  and  begin  to 
feel  at  home  among  the  people;  but  shall  I  remain 
here  ?  I  do  not  know  why  it  is,  but  I  seem  con- 
stantly to  have  a  voice  saying,  "Arise,  this  is  not 
your  rest !"  Nor  should  I  he  surprised  at  any  time 
to  receive  an  order  to  depart.  Yet  as  such  feehngs 
are  not  the  rule  by  which  we  are  to  be  guided,  I 
endeavour  to  work  on  as  if  this  were  to  be  my 
earthly  home ;  and  be  my  abode  long  or  short,  to 
be  in  readiness  when  He  comes,  whose  coming  will 
not  tarry. 

My  teacher  has  just  come  in,  and  knowing  that 
this  is  our  new  year,  he  has  been  cogitating  a  salu- 
tation for  me,  which  was  as  follows,  JSeeti  sang,  shangfe 
pongchooe  ne  taou  teendong  clieaio,  "Sir,  may  God 
assist  you  and  enable  you  to  arrive  at  heaven  !"  I 
was  not  a  little  surprised  and  gratified  too,  for  I 
never  heard  him  utter  such  a  sentiment  before.  Oh 
that  the  wish,  which  in  politeness  he  made  for  me, 
were  fulfilled  in  reality  to  him  !  If  he  were  but  a 
Christian,  or  if  I  might  but  see  him  one,  it  seems  to 
me  I  should  almost  be  ready  to  depart  in  peace ;  for 
his  talents  and  acquirements  are  such,  that  if  they 
were  sanctified  they  would  be  invaluable.  But  alas, 
he  is  proud  of  his  learning,  temporizing  in  his  policy, 
and  averse  to  know  the  plague  of  his  own  heart. 
The  doctrine  of  human  depravity,  he  cannot  away 
with  ;  it  is  a  very  abomination  to  him,  and  after  all 
the  instructions  he  has  received,  if  he  repents  not, 
how  much  greater  will  be  his  condemnation !  I  fear 
we  shall  prove  a  "savour  of  death  unto  death,"  to 
more  than  we  shall  be  the  means  of  saving,  in  this 
land.  .  .  . 

Believe  me,  as  ever,  yours  in  kind  remembrances, 
And  sincei'e  affection;  W.  M.  Lowrie, 


AIEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  307 

Ningpo,  April  21st,  1846. 

Rev.  John  Lloyd — My  Dear  Brother:  —  It  is 
now  near  four  months  since  I  wrote  to  you,  but  you 
will  believe  me  when  I  say,  that  if  I  have  not 
written  I  have  at  least  not  forgotten  you,  and  often 
try  to  remember  you,  where  I  trust  you  remember 
me,  at  a  throne  of  grace.  I  could  give  you  the 
usual  string  of  apologies;  Chinese,  reading  proofs, 
keeping  accounts,  answering  letters;  but  I  fear  if  I 
did  so,  it  would  make  you  think  I  was  doing  a  great 
deal,  when  in  fact  weeks  pass  away  and  I  seem  to 
have  done  nothing,  to  have  really  made  no  progress, 
and  have  to  cry  out  for  mercy  to  the  unprofitable 
servant.  How  would  Calvin,  or  men  of  half  his 
mind,  smile  at  the  idea  of  all  I  do  being  called  work ! 
I  fancy  that  hundreds  of  men  do  as  much  before 
breakfast  as  I  do  in  a  whole  day.  I  find  it  a  very 
serious  drawback  in  my  study  and  acquirement  of 
the  language,  that  so  much  of  the  best  part  of  my 
missionary  life  was  spent  where  the  dialect  I  was 
studying  was  not  spoken.  Although  I  know  more 
of  books  than  any  other  here,  yet  McCartee  speaks 
incomparably  better  than  I  do,  and  both  Culbertson 
and  Loomis  will  probably  be  preaching  before  me. 
What  in  the  world  should  I  do  among  the  "tones" 
of  your  delightful  dialect?  I  fancy  I  should  be 
among  them  like  a  certain  Presbyterian  clergyman, 
who  attempted  to  conduct  the  Episcopal  service 
once,  and  had  it  reported  of  him  afterwards  that 
"  he  wandered  up  and  down  among  the  prayers,  like 
a  blind  man  among  the  tombs." 

This  reminds  me  that  in  your  last  you  speak  of 
our  having  no  tones  in  this  dialect.  This  is  to  a 
great  extent,  but  not  entirely,  the  case.  The  tones 
are  necessary  in  some  words  ;  but  generally  speak- 
ing, if  you  get  the  idiomatic  expression,  you  need 
not  bother  your  head  about  the  tones;  and  none 
of  us  ^ay  any  theoretical  attention  whatever  to  their 
acquisition.     It  is  a  pretty  good  proof  of  thek  not 


308  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

being  necessary,  that  the  Fuhkeen  men,  of  whom 
there  are  many  here,  cannot  learn  to  speak  this  dia- 
lect well.  The  remark  is  often  made  that  "  you 
foreigners  speak  Ningpo  dialect  better  than  the 
Fuhkeen  people ;"  and  imperfect  as  my  acquirements 
are  in  speaking,  I  have  been  told  a  dozen  times  that 
I  pronounce  better  than  the  Fuhkeen  men.  If  I 
could  only  get  among  the  people,  and  not  see  a 
book  or  a  foreigner  for  six  months  or  a  year,  I 
think  there  would  be  some  hopes  ;  and  I  often  half 
wish  some  person  would  run  away  with  me,  and 
keep  me  captive  for  a  while,  for  otherwise  I  do  not 
see  how  I  am  to  get  away.  Well,  all  this  is  egot- 
ism, and  much  of  it  is  nonsense  ;  but  I  beg  you  to 
receive  it  as  a  proof  how  much  I  care  for  you, 
that  I  let  3'Ou  see  such  effusions,  and  how  much 
I  do  not  care  for  you,  or  I  would  not  let  you  see 
them. 

I  have  just  been  interrupted  by  a  long  talk  from 
a  couple  of  Chinese,  who  talked  so  fast  that  the 
words  came  out  like  a  mill-stream,  and  all  I  could 
do  was  to  gather  the  drift  of  their  discourse  and 
let  the  particular  words  vanish  into  thin  air.  I 
wish  I  could  talk  as  much  as  I  can  understand  ! 
But  patience,  perseverance,  and  prayer  !  Oh  to  be 
kept  from  growing  w^eary  or  careless  in  God's  work ! 
I  did  not  feel  afraid  of  this  in  the  first  year  or 
two ;  but  now  it  requires   much  watchfulness  and 

Erayer,  lest  I  become  w^eary  or  discouraged.  You 
ave  much  reason  for  thankfulness  that  you  got  to 
your  field  so  soon,  and  have  not  quite  so  many 
letters  to  write,  as  I  had  during  my  first  two  3^ears ; 
but  I  ought  not  to  complain  of  them,  for  it  was  my 
appointed  work,  since  the  providence  of  God  re- 
peatedly prevented  me  from  taking  any  other  course, 
and  perhaps  it  was  the  best  on  the  whole.  But  as 
I  look  over  m}^  past  life,  and  especially  that  part 
spent  in  the  missionary  ground,  I  have  to  pray, 
*^  pardon  the  unprofitable,  erring,  sinful  servant !" 
It  is  so  late,  having  been  so  interrupted  by  the 


MEMOIK   OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  309 

conversation  above  referred  to,  that  I  must  close 
my  sheet  for  the  night,  hoping  to  be  able  to 
finish  to-morrow,  though  I  know  not  when  a  let- 
ter can  be  sent  from  here.  If  the  overland  route 
answers,  we  will  try  and  send  in  that  way. 

I  think  Mr.  Smith  has  led  you  into  a  mistake,  on 
the  point  of  the  "two  dialects."  As  far  as  I  know, 
in  all  parts  of  China,  the  written  and  the  colloquial 
dialects  differ  so  widely  as  to  be  really  two  lan- 
guages. This  is  the  case  here,  for  Ningpo  colloquial 
cannot  be  written  with  Chinese  characters.  True, 
many  words,  perhaps  one-half,  are  the  same  in  the 
two ;  but  you  never  can  tell  from  seeing  a  character 
in  a  book  whether  it  can  be  used  in  speaking,  unless 
your  teacher  tells  you.  Jin  is  spoken  nying ;  urh  iz 
IS  spoken  'ny  iz ;  chmj-Jco  is  spoken  Mhko,  while  Joo- 
tsze  which  is  book  Mandarin,  and  cliay-yang  which  is 
colloquial  Mandarin,  meaning,  "  so  fashion,"  or  "  in 
this  way,"  in  one  dialect  is  sz  -Jca-go,  which  cannot  be 
written  at  all,  i.  e.,  has  no  characters  to  express  it; 
though  characters  might  be  arbitrarily  employed, 
which  would  give  the  sound.  This  is  the  case  with 
hundreds  of  words  in  common  use. 

I  was  both  pleased  and  surprised  to  hear  how 
much  missionary  work  is  done  in  Amoy.  Would 
that  we  could  report  the  half  of  it  here  !  But  ex- 
cept tract  distributing,  at  which  we  all  do  a  little, 
there  is  no  preaching  excepting  by  Dr.  McCartee, 
who  has  a  service  every  Sabbath,  and  talks  to  the 
people  frequently  during  the  week.  I  have  tried 
once  or  twice,  but,  like  the  man  who  tried  to  swim 
before  he  had  been  in  the  water,  succeeded  so  poorly, 
that  I  feel  afraid  to  try  again.  I  conduct  service 
with  my  servants  morning  and  evening,  and  hope  I 
shall  soon  be  able  to  set  up  a  meeting  which  might 
be  called  "a  parish  meeting,"  i.  e.,  not  a  regular 
preaching  service,  but  a  preparatory  one,  which  will 
prepare  me  for  preaching.  I  have  been  much  thrown 
back  by  not  having  been  able  to  get  a  teacher  on 
whom  1  could  depend  for  giving  me  the  colloquial 


310  MEMOIR  OF  WALTER  M.    LOWRIE. 

expressions.  The  one  I  had  for  nine  months  after 
coining  was  a  capital  scholar,  but  proud,  disobliging, 
or  rather  unobliging,  and  took  no  interest  in  anything 
of  the  kind.  After  bearing  with  him  till  I  could 
bear  no  longer,  1  turned  him  off  and  got  another, 
who  was  so  stupid  that  I  kept  him  only  a  month. 
Yesterday  I  got  a  new  one,  and  he  has  taken  such 
"strong  hold  as  quite  astonishes  me.  "A  new 
broom  "sweeps  clean;"  but  this  man  is  a  scholar,  ap- 
pears to  be  a  gentleman,  is  quite  obhging,  lively, 
patient,  apt  to  teach,  and  on  two  days'  acquaintance 
I  am  greatly  pleased.  I  hope  he  will  hold  out,  but 
I  greatly  fear.  If  he  does  w^ell,  and  if  he  becomes 
a  'Christian,  Oh,  how  I  should  rejoice  !  With  a  good 
teacher,  who  w^as  a  real  Christian,  I  think  I  might 
be  of  very  much  more  use  than  I  am  now. 

You  speak  of  "  feeling  as  safe  as  if  in  New  York 
or  Philadelphia."  I  feel  the  same  here.  I  live  a 
mile  from  any  foreigner,  and  have  frequently  walked 
two  miles  through  the  city  after  eight  or  nine  o'clock, 
p.  M.,  without  a" lantern  or  any  company,  wdth  less 
apprehension  than  I  would  go  through  many  parts 
of  New  York  city.  The  people  here  are  generally 
very  well  behaved,  and  very  civil. 

As  to  mandarins,  we  see  none  of  them;  we  do  not 
visit  them,  and  are  not  visited  by  them.  The  Eng- 
lish consul  has  discouraged  visiting,  and  foreigners, 
except  ofHcers,  seldom  go  near  them.  There  is  a 
wdiite-buttoned  one  whom  Dr.  McCartee  and  I  have 
called  on,  and  been  called  on  by;  and  last  year  we 
had  frequent  calls  from  travelling  mandarins  with 
gilt  and  wdiite  buttons,  who  came  to  see  the  stran- 
gers ;  but  of  late  I  have  seen  none,  and  do  not  feel 
any  anxiety  to  meet  them.  You  get  in  with  them 
at  Amoy,  because  of  the  important  flict  that  Abeel 
and  Boone  and  Cummings  have  had  to  act  as  inter- 
preters, when  there  were  none  but  missionaries  to  in- 
terpret, and  as  the  mandarins  of  course  know  of  no 
dillerence  between  you  and  others^  they  keep  up  the 
acquaintance. 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTETR   M.    LOWRIE.  311 

We  are  all  moving  on  very  quietly  and  pleasantly. 
The  weather  is  gettnig  pleasantly  warm,  but  even 
yet  I  like  to  sit  with  my  fur  coat  on  in  the  mornings 
and  evenings,  and  have  as  yet  laid  aside  neither 
flannels  nor  woollen  stockings.  It  has  rained  almost 
every  day  this  month,  and  in  consequence  of  so 
much  rain  now,  and  the  probability  of  very  little 
next  month,  when  it  will  be  much  wanted,  fears  of 
a  scarcity  of  rice  prevail,  and  it  is  already  rising  in 
price.  As  to  ships,  there  has  not  been  one  here, 
except  men  of  war,  since  last  August.  I  do  not 
know  how  we  are  to  get  our  funds  after  Chusan  is 
given  up.  Our  letters  we  shall  manage  to  get  over- 
land from  Shanghai. 

We  have  bought  a  hurying-groimd  here,  about  one 
hundred  feet  b}^  fifty,  for  fifty  dollars.  Abraham's 
first  possession  in  the  land  where  he  was  a  stranger, 
was  a  burying-ground. 

Your  brother  in  Christ. 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Ningfo,  July  9th,  1846. 
My  Dear  Father — ^Your  two  most  acceptable  let- 
ters of  November,  1845,  and  February,  1846,  came, 
one  in  the  end  of  May,  and  the  other  to-day.  I 
cannot  tell  you  how  much  I  am  obliged  for  your 
good  long  letters :  the  jom^nals  of  your  trips  to 
Washino;ton  and  to  Albany,  were  deeply  interesting. 
I  wish  I  could  give  you  an  account  of  half  as  mucli 
done  by  myselt,  but  all  m}^  performances  seem  to 
me  of  small  account.  Here  is  a  specimen  of  to-day's 
employment.  Rose  before  six.  Our  nights  are 
warm,  and  following  on  warmer  days,  I  do  not  de- 
rive the  refreshment  from  them  that  I  could  wish. 
After  breakfast  and  prayers,  went  over  the  river  to 
see  after  the  printing  office,  got  a  proof  to  correct, 
and  came  back ;  it  was  ten  o'clock  when  I  got  home, 
and  thermometer  then  at  90°  j  sat  down  Avith  my 


312  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

teacher  and  went  over  Acts  xvii.,  on  which  he  wrote 
comments  by  my  explanations.  Then  read  some  in 
Mencius,  and  looked  over  some  points  in  Chinese 
history,  and  some  notices  of  two  or  three  of  their 
sages.  By  this  time  it  was  one  o'clock,  and  the 
thermometer  had  risen  to  98°  in  my  coolest  room. 
I  was  pretty  w^ell  tired,  and  told  my  teacher  that 
was  enough  for  to-day;  came  up  stairs,  corrected 
the  proof  for  the  press,  and  finished  the  first  draught 
of  a  letter,  one  of  a  series  which  I  am  preparing  for 
the  Foreign  Missionary.  This  and  dinner  kept  me 
till  three  o'clock;  all  this  time  the  thermometer  at 
blood  heat;  and  though  a  pleasant  breeze  blowing, 
yet  coming  in  at  times  as  if  out  of  a  furnace.  I 
have  never  known  such  warm  weather  since  I  have 
been  in  China,  and  it  so  relaxes  the  whole  system, 
that  a  very  little  labour  is  quite  sufficient  to  lay  a 
man  by.  At  three  I  felt  so  tired  that  I  lay  down, 
and  between  reading  a  little  and  dozing,  whiled  away 
the  time  till  five ;  then  got  up,  found  it  a  little  cooler, 
sat  in  the  breeze  and  read  an  account  of  the  synod 
of  Dort  till  six.  Went  out  then  for  a  walk ;  went 
through  a  number  of  streets,  and  found  everybody 
out  of  doors,  men  all  half  naked,  and  many  of  the 
children  entirely  so,  and  the  heat  given  out  from  the 
stones  and  houses  so  great  as  to  be  very  oppressive. 
This,  and  the  foul  odours  arising  from  the  filth  com- 
mon to  every  Chinese  city,  w^ere  such  that  I  was 
glad  to  get  on  the  city  wall,  and  turn  my  steps  home- 
w^ard.  Somewhat  of  a  breeze  on  the  wall,  and  get- 
ting to  my  own  house  about  sunset,  I  sat  down  to 
enjoy  it.  Presently  a  man  came  along  and  seemed 
anxious  to  say  something;  so  he  asked  if  I  would 
take  a  smoke.  I  told  him,  no,  I  did  not  smoke,  and 
asked  him  to  sit  down.  Then  he  asked  how  old  I 
was.  Where  I  came  from.  Where  I  lived,  &c.  &c. 
By  this  time  others  came,  one,  two,  five,  ten,  and 
soon  there  were  about  fifty  persons  collected  to  see 
and  hear  the  Ilungnan-nying,  (Bed-haired  man,  as 
they  call  all   Enghshmen.)     Asked  a  good   many 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  313 

questions,  and  in  the  course  of  the  talk,  gave  me  an 
opportunity  of  saying  several  things  very  pointedly 
about  the  folly  of  idolatry,  the  importance  of  attend- 
ing to  one's  soul,  and  the  way  of  salvation  through 
Christ.  Speaking  of  Jesus,  one  of  the  men  re- 
marked that  he  supposed  Jesus  was  much  such  a 
person  as  Confucius.  "No,  Confucius  was  only  a 
man,  but  Christ  was  far  superior  to  men."  Was 
listened  to  with  as  much  attention  and  interest  as  I 
have  been  at  any  time,  and  found  it  gave  me  some 
access  to  them,  when  they  found  that  I  had  read 
and  could  give  the  sense  of  their  own  books.  There 
was  one  man  there  from  Shangtung,  but  I  could  un- 
derstand very  little  of  what  he  said.  He  seemed, 
however,  to  have  no  difficulty  in  understanding  all  I 
said,  and  seemed  much  interested.  Gave  away 
some  tracts ;  gave  a  copy  of  "  The  Two  Friends"  to 
one  whose  appearance  had  pleased  me.  He  looked 
at  it  and  asked  if  all  I  had  were  alike,  and  begged 
for  a  copy  of  another  kind.  Came  away,  all  of  them 
giving  me  a  hearty  good-bye^  and  one  or  two  joining 
their  hands  and  thanking  me  for  the  books  and  doc- 
trine. Came  back  home,  got  ni}^  tea,  and  sat  down 
to  this  letter,  which  I  suppose  will  take  all  the  rest 
of  the  evening.  The  thermometer  is  now  down  to 
91°.  1  am  sitting  in  a  thin  grass-cloth  suit,  and 
feehng  comparatively  comfortable  after  the  hot  day. 
In  some  of  my  previous  letters,  I  have  probably 
given  you  to  understand  that  1  was  much  discouraged 
about  learning  to  speak  this  language.  This  arose 
in  a  measure  from  the  unfaithfulness  of  a  teacher 
whom  1  employed  after  coming  here.  For  a  while 
1  learned  a  good  deal,  and  as  he  was  a  capital  scholar, 
1  wanted  to  keep  him.  But  after  being  with  me  a 
few  months  he  found  out  what  words  1  knew,  and 
would  use  no  others,  so  that  during  the  last  four 
months  I  had  him,  I  scarcely  learned  a  new  phrase. 
I  disliked  to  turn  him  off,  because  in  some  things  he 
suited  me  admirably,  being  good  at  explaining  the 
classics,  and  besides  he  was  poor :  but  at  last  1  could 


314  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

endure  it  no  longer.  It  was  then  nearly  two  months 
before  I  could  get  a  good  teacher.  If  I  could  go 
about  as  some  others  can,  I  should  be  less  depen- 
dent on  a  teacher,  but  my  disposition  does  not  lead 
me  to  delight  in  promiscuous  company ;  and  some- 
how I  have  the  knack  of  getting  a  large  share  of 
the  writing,  book-keeping,  proof-correctmg,  &c.,  of 
the  mission  into  my  hands,  which  gives  me  less  time 
than  I  could  wish  for  visiting  and  going  about. 
However,  I  have  been  favoured  in  getting  a  first-rate 
teacher,  and  have  gained  so  much  in  the  last  two 
months  as  quite  encom^ages  me ;  and  it  is  my  pre- 
sent expectation  (Deo  volente)  to  commence  a  re- 
gular religious  service  in  Chinese  when  the  warm 
weather  is  over.  I  might  do  it  now,  but  prefer  not 
undertaking  what  would  necessarily  require  a  good 
deal  of  labour  in  preparation,  until  the  present  op- 
pressive season  is  past;  and  in  the  mean  time,  go 
about  a  little  and  talk  as  I  did  to-night,  which  is  a 
help  in  perfecting  my  pronunciation,  and  enabling 
me  to  speak  without  embarrassment.  In  the  course 
of  the  present  year,  I  hope  we  shall  have  several  of 
our  number  actively  employed  in  preaching. 

...  I  quite  agree  with  you  in  the  general  princi- 

Ele,  that  a  wife  should  not  always  take  her  husband 
ome.     Still  in  many  cases,  a  wife  cannot  go  alone. 

Dr.  and   Mrs.  H (of  the  London  Missionary 

Society)  went  home  last  year  on  account  of  her  health, 
and  she  died  before  she  got  to  England.  Mrs.  J. 
S went  tviihoiit  her  husband,  and  took  her  chil- 
dren; (five  or  six,  one  very  young;)  she  died  on  the 
voyage.  I  have  not  heard  how  the  children  got 
home.  It  is  this  that  makes  it  so  difficult  for  a  wo- 
man to  go  alone.  Few  missionaries  have  left  China 
of  late  for  their  health,  till  they  were  well  nigh  broken 
down,  and  it  requires  no  small  resolution  to  send  off 
a  sick  wife  on  a  long  voyage,  especially  if  she  have 
children  to  take  care  of.  What  is  to  be  done  ?  For 
a  while  I  was  tempted  to  wish  that  missionaries 
could  live  without  wives;  but  after  more  experience 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  315 

and  reflection,  I  am  satisfied  that  all  men  cannot  re- 
ceive this  saying.  Even  if  immarried  men  could  be 
contented  and  happy,  yet  there  are  other,  and  se- 
rious objections.  I  have  seen  more  than  one  or  two 
cases  in  which  I  thought  the  bachelor  missionary, 
merry  and  cheerful  as  he  professed  to  be,  would 
have  been  not  simply  a  happier  man,  but  a  more  hu- 
mane, thoughtful,  sober,  useful  missionary,  and  a  far 
better  example  to  the  heathen,  if  he  had  been  mar- 
ried ;  and  where  example  is  of  such  vital  importance 
as  it  is  here,  whatever  conduces  to  render  it  better, 

is  not  to  be  overlooked 

Your  affectionate  and  obedient  son, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Ningpo,  August  10th,  1846. 

Hev.  John  C.  Lowrie — My  Dear  Brother  : — .  .  .  I 
heard  of  Mr.  Dod's  death,  but  had  not  heard  of  Mrs. 
P.'s.  How  man}^  gaps  there  are  already  in  the  cir- 
cle of  my  acquaintances  at  home!  You  will  not 
perceive  it  so  much  as  you  are  constantly  making 
new  ones,  but  mine  are  only  decreasing :  so  be  it. 
"  I  am  a  stranger  in  the  earth,"  and  never  so  happy 
as  when  I  feel  it  most. 

This  has  been  an  oppressingly  hot  summer.  I 
will  send  you  a  notice  of  it  soon.  I  doubt  whether 
you  saw  the  equal  of  it  in  India.  For  days  together 
we  have  had  the  thermometer  up  to  100°,  but  most 
providentially,  it  always  fell  12°  or  14°  at  night. 
June,  July,  and  the  first  w^eek  of  this  month  were 
roasters  ;  but  the  worst  is  over  now,  and  it  felt  quite 
delicious  to-day  when  the  thermometer  got  up  only 
to  88 2°.  Then  we  have  had  a  drought  all  summer; 
rumours  of  poisoning ;  alarms  of  evil  spirits,  and  an 
earthquake,  a  veritable  earthquake,  which  shook  the 
houses  right  merrily,  and  wakened  every  man,  wo- 
man and  child  in  Mngpo.  Such  screaming!  and 
beating  of  gongs !  and  firing  of  crackers !     I  will 


816  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

send  3^011  accounts  of  all  these  presently.  I  have 
them  all  in  my  journal.  The  earthquake  was  on  the 
4th  instant,  about  three  o'clock,  a.  m.  It  did  no 
harm,  but  it  frightened  the  people  terribly,  especially 
as  they  were  then  under  extreme  alarm,  from  a  panic 
occasioned  by  the  belief  that  there  are  thousands  of 
evil  spirits  bent  on  mischief  in  the  city.  With  all 
the  melancholy  arising  from  seeing  them  so  wholly 
given  up  to  such  superstition,  it  is  yet  most  ludicrous 
to  see  what  tales  they  can  invent.  The  panic  is 
dying  away  now,  but  when  we  found  the  people 
giving  credence  to  such  tales,  we  began  to  fear  that 
evil  might  come  out  of  it.  There  is  no  joke  in  it, 
however,  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Loomis  have  just  come 
over  from  Chusan,  not  being  allowed  to  remain  there, 
and  can  get  no  house  here,  on  account  of  the  panic 
and  fear  of  evil  spirits,  which  are  supposed  to  have 
some  connection  with  foreigners.  .  .  . 
Pray  for  me^  and  believe  me  ever, 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Ningpo,  August  26th,  1846. 

My  Dear  Father — .  .  .  .  Our  excessive  hot  wea- 
ther is  now  over,  and  though  the  days  are  sometimes 
warm,  the  nights  are  delightful,  and  we  are  all  in 
the  enjoyment  of  excellent  health.  My  appetite  and 
strength  are  returning  rapidly,  and  the  summer,  not- 
withstandiuG^  my  fears  in  June,  has  been  the  most 
comfortable  I  have  spent  in  China.  I  have  not  done 
much  for  two  months  past,  however,  for  it  is  i-eally 
too  much  labour  to  study  or  work  with  the  ther- 
mometer at  blood-heat. 

Of  late,  I  have  been  busily  engaged  in  collating 
notes  and  quotations,  on  the  proper  word  for  express- 
ing the  name  of  the  Supreme  Being,  in  Chinese.  The 
weight  of  authority,  i.  e.,  most  of  the  most  learned 
missionaries,  have  given  their  influence  in  favour  of 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  317 

using  Shmig-te^  but  many  others  dislike  the  term  ex- 
ceedingly, as  being  the  proper  name  of  the  chief 
Chinese  god ;  and  when  we  use  it,  the  people  at  once 
say,  ^'oh  yes,  that's  our  Shang-te."  I  have  satis- 
fied myself  pretty  well  that  Shin  is  the  proper  word 
to  use.  ...  If  this  word  is  adopted,  it  will  then 
become  almost  necessary  to  use  the  word  Poo  sa  in 
colloquial,  though  many  have  taken  up  a  strange 
2)rejudice  against  the  word,  as  if  it  meant  an  idol, 
and  was  a  contemptuous  or  dishonourable  term. 
Nothing  can  be  more  contrary  to  the  fact,  and  I 
have  found  myself  in  my  efforts  to  talk  to  the  peo- 
ple, almost  compelled  to  use  it,  there  being  no  other 
term  in  the  language  which  expresses  so  well  and 
so  intelligibly,  what  we  mean  by  God,  It  is  a  little 
troublesome  in  preparing  articles  of  this  kind,  not  to 
have  the  proper  books  at  hand  for  reference.  My 
library  is,  I  believe,  the  best  in  Ningpo,  (unless  Mr. 

T has  a  better,  which  I  doubt,)  but  I  found  it 

quite  insufficient  for  my  wants,  as  I  know  of  several 
books  which  would  have  materially  helped  me,  but 
had  them  not. 

Everything  goes  on  very  pleasantly  and  harmo- 
niously in  the  mission ;  but  the  great  things,  life, 
and  vigour,  and  zeal,  are  lamentably  wanting.  How 
easy  it  is,  even  for  the  missionary,  to  seek  for  plea- 
sure in  everything  but  in  God.  I  am  often  cast 
down,  and  sometimes  deeply  discouraged,  to  find  in 
me  so  little  love  for  my  Saviour,  and  so  little  dispo- 
sition to  active  exertion.  Instead  of  coming  nearer 
and  nearer,  and  being  more  conformed  to  God,  I 
seem  to  be  going  farther  and  farther  away.  I  trust 
that  no  one  else  here  is  so  low  or  so  useless  as  I 
often  feel  myself  to  be.  The  sense  of  my  own  worth- 
lessness  often  makes  me  unwilling  to  send  for  such 
things  in  the  way  of  books  as  I  need,  (and  there  is 
very  little  else  that  I  feel  any  want  of,)  and  even 
unwilling  to  receive  all  the  kind  presents  and  letters 
that  are  sent  to  me.     Oh,  for  more  purity,  and  zeal, 


318  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

and  love — to  be  like  Christ !     Do  not  cease  to  pray 
for  my  spiritual  well-being. 

Believe  me  as  ever,  your  affectionate  son, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Ningpo,  September  3d,  1846. 

My  Dear  Mother — The  clock  has  struck  eleven, 
and  I  ought  to  be  in  bed,  but  I  feel  as  if  I  wanted 
to  write  to  you,  though  I  do  not  know  that  I  have 
much  to  say.  I  was  writing  a  sermon  this  evening 
to  preach  on  the  next  Sabbath,  for  I  still  write  ser- 
mons occasionally,  and  getting  it  finished  before 
eight  o'clock,  I  was  a  little  at  a  loss  to  know  what 
to  do,  for  I  did  not  feel  like  reading  or  studying 
after  that.  So  I  took  out  a  package  containing  the 
letters  received  from  father  and  you,  during  the 
first  two  years  of  my  life  in  China.  Getting  inter- 
ested, I  kept  at  them  till  nearly  eleven  o'clock,  and 
then  felt  as  if  I  wanted  to  thank  you  more  heartily 
than  I  had  ever  done  for  all  your  affection,  and  S3'm- 
pathy,  and  kindness  to  me.  Of  course  I  could  not 
read  them  all  over,  but  I  glanced  over  each,  and  read 
parts  of  them,  and  many  a  tear  fell  as  I  recalled  the 
scenes  through  which  I  had  passed,  and  3^our  cleep 
sympathies  with  me.  It  is  good  to  weep  sometimes, 
and  I  often  wish  I  could  weep  more  over  my  own 
sinfulness  and  uselessness.  It  is  nearly  fi\Q  years 
since  I  have  seen  you;  sometimes  I  catch  myself 
asking,  "  Shall  I  see  you  again  ?"  and  then  again, 
"But  how  is  it  possible?"  I  was  discouraged  a  few 
months  ago,  for  fear  I  never  would  learn  this  lan- 
guage, but  for  the  last  seven  months  I  have  made 
such  progress  that  I  should  be  loath  on  any  account 
to  leave  this  field  of  labour.  I  think  now  my  pros- 
pects of  acquiring  a  pretty  thorough  and  extensive 
knowledge  of  it  are  quite  fair ;  and  if  so,  then  here 
is  my  field,  and  here  would  I  gladly  labour,  and  die. 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  319 

Yet  if  I  may  be  of  a  little  use  here,  it  will  abun- 
dantly repay  me ;  and  at  present  I  can  conceive  of 
scarcely  anything  that  would  be  so  painful  as  to  go 
back  to  the  United  States  without  an  unmistakable 
call  to  do  so.  It  does  seem  to  me  as  if  I  could  not 
do  it.  How  much  of  this  may  be  from  a  desire  to 
preserve  my  reputation,  I  will  not  pretend  to  say,  but 
among  other  motives,  I  trust  that  of  preaching  Christ 
to  these  poor  idolaters  is  not  the  least.  How 
wretched  is  their  condition !  I  stood  at  my  window 
the  other  day,  and  saw  an  idolatrous  procession  go 
by,  till  my  heart  asked,  "  Oh,  Lord,  how  long  ?" 

But  I  am  wandering  from  my  purpose,  which  was 
more  immediately  to  tell  you  how  I  felt  in  recalling 
the  trials  and  events  of  the  first  few  months  of  my 
life  out  in  China.  Somehow,  they  seem  to  have  hap- 
pened much  longer  ago  than  is  really  the  case.  Most 
of  them  seem  to  have  occurred  ten  years  ago;  and  I 
sometimes  think  of  them  as  if  they  had  happened 
to  another  person.  How  much  goodness  and  mercy 
were  mingled  with  them  all !  I  was  much  struck, 
too,  in  reading  your  letters,  to  notice  how  many  that 
I  knew  when  with  you  are  already  dead.  Some 
that  were  careless  then,  are  pious  now.  Changes, 
breaking  up,  and  settling  down : — 1  am  more  at  home 
here  than  I  should  be  in  the  United  States. 

I  am  commonly  very  happy,  all  but  in  one  thing ;  I 
have  so  little  grace.  Pray  for  me.  It  is  a  hard 
thing  to  keep  the  flame  of  piety  burning  bright 
when  the  sickening  blasts  of  idolatry  blow  on  the 
soul,  and  there  are  few  to  speak  of  Christ.  He 
came  once,  and  though  he  came  to  suffer  and  to  die, 
yet  even  then  the  "groaning  creation"  was  on  tip-toe 
to  receive  him.  The  winds  heard  his  voice,  the 
waves  became  solid  beneath  his  feet,  the  fish  came 
at  his  conmiand,  the  tree  shook  down  its  leaves 
when  he  spoke.  Good  angels  hovered  near,  and 
devils  fled  at  his  word.  If  all  this  happened  when 
he  came  to  be  "a  servant,"  what  will  it  be  when 
he  comes  "to  reign?"  and  we  sliaU  reign  with  him. 


320  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

Yes,  for  ever  and  ever.  "  So  shall  we  be  ever  with 
the  Lord."  It  makes  me  wonder,  how  can  he  con- 
descend so  low?  how  is  it  possible  we  can  be  lifted 
up  so  high?  But  "fear  not,  little  flock,  it  is  your 
Father's  good  pleasure  to  give  you  the  kingdom." 
It  is  his  "good  pleasure,"  and  so  we  shall  have  it. 
If  it  were  our  "good  deeds,"  we  might  despair. 
Thanks  be  unto  God  for  his  unspeakable  gift. 

I  do  not  write  so  much  and  so  freely  as  I  used 
to ;  and  I  sometimes  fear  you  may  think  I  am  for- 
getting, or  losing  my  affection  for  you ;  but  it  is  not 
so.  I  ha^^e  more  to  do  than  I  used  to  have,  though 
I  do  not  seem  to  accomplish  much,  and  it  is  often 
of  such  a  kind  as  indisposes  me  for  the  free  and 
easy  letters  I  would  like  to  write.  But  nothing 
brmgs  tears  more  easily  to  my  eyes  than  to  recall 
past  hours  with  you,  and  I  sometimes  seem  to  live 
them  over  again.  Well !  here  is  the  last  corner  of 
the  sheet,  and  though  I  have  not  said  much,  yet  it 
seems  like  a  relief  to  say  even  this,  disjointed  as  it 
is.  It  is  nearly  midnight, — high  noon  with  you. 
How  often  is  it  so  in  life !  Bright  noon  and  joy 
with  one,  and  perhaps  his  dearest  friend  at  the  same 
moment  in  midnight  gloom,  but  the  Sun  is  still  in 
his  place,  as  bright  and  cheering  as  ever;  and 
"when  I  awake,  I  am  still  with  thee."  I  presume 
you  know  my  meaning.  I  have  not  space  to  en- 
large it,  and  so  write  here 

Ever  affectionately  yours, 

W.  M.  LoWRIE. 


NingpOy  September  15th,  1846. 

My  Dear  Father —  ....  You  will  unite  with  us 
in  thanksgiving,  that  w^e  have  been  permitted  to 
receive  a  Chinese,  a  native  of  this  place,  into  the 
church.  He  was  for  a  long  time,  eight  or  ten 
months,  under  pretty  constant  instruction  and  ex- 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  321 

amination,  and  gave  us  every  satisfaction  before 
being  admitted  to  the  church.  He  is  employed  by 
Miss  Aldersey,  who  has  been  very  faithful  to  him 
in  teaching  him.  / 

....  I  got  my  head  full  of  a  notion  of  preparing 
a  Dictionary  of  the  Four  Books  the  other  day,  and 
may  perhaps  try  to  make  something  out  of  it. 
There  is  no  existing  dictionary  by  which  a  Chinese 
student  can  read  even  the  Four  Books  with  satis- 
faction. Morrison's  is  the  best.  My  plan  would  be 
to  make  a  Dictionary,  1st.  Of  all  the  words  in  the 
Four  Books,  about  2500 :  this  would  be  the  great 
body  of  characters  used  in  the  language — Dyer's 
list  having  only  3500.  2d.  To  give  all  the  mean- 
ings of  each  word  that  occurs  in  the  Four  Books, 
which,  as  they  are  the  foundation  of  the  literature 
of  China,  would  be  by  much  the  greater  part  of  the 
important  definitions  needed.  3d.  To  give  pretty 
full  biographical  notices  of  all  the,  persons,  and 
notices  also  of  the  places  mentioned  in  the  Four 
Books:  this  would  give  nearly  everything  that  is 
important  in  ancient  Chinese  history.  The  above 
is  the  better  half  of  what  I  have  cut  out.  To  do 
it,  without  interfering  with  my  more  direct  and 
more  important  missionary  labours,  would  require 
between  two  and  three  years.  Should  this  plan 
succeed,  I  might  afterwards  try  my  hand  at  a  more 
important  and  ambitious  effort,  i.  e.,  a  Dictionary 
of  the  language;  but  this  is  so  vast  an  undertaking, 
that  at  present  I  have  little  idea  of  trying  it.  The 
Dictionary  of  the  Four  Books  1  think  1  can  man- 
age, and  it  would  be  an  important  contribution  to- 
wards a  general  dictionary.  I  have  not  spoken  of 
it  to  any  one,  and  do  not  wish  to  do  so,  as  so  many 
things  may  interfere,  but  I  should  be  very  glad  to 
get  all  the  assistance  possible  in  it,  even  if  only  for 
my  own  advancement.  1  should  like  to  get  the 
translations  published  at  Paris  and  Berlin.  1  do 
not  know  where  the  money  is  to  come  from  for  all 
thesO;  but  if  you  can  manage  to  get  them  for  me,  or 


^2  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

for  the  mission,  all  the  same ;  I  should  be  very  glad. 
I  hope  }'^ou  will  not  say  I  am  engaged  in  any 
such  work,  for  I  am  not  yet  so  committed  to  it  that 
I  feel  myself  bouad  to  continue  it,  even  to  myself; 
and  if  I  did  commence  it,  I  would  not  want  it 
known,  till  I  was  in  a  situation  not  to  fear  the  re- 
proach of  beginning  without  counting  the  cost. 

I  have  been  a  good  deal  encouraged  of  late  in 
my  hopes  of  learning  the  language,  and  if  God 
spares  my  life,  and  gives  me  health,  I  think  there 
is  a  reasonable  prospect  of  my  becoming  a  tolerably 
thorough  scholar.  My  early  education,  for  which, 
under  "God,  I  am  most  indebted  to  3^ou,  gives  me 
some  qualifications  for  it,  which,  I  trust  it  is  not 
vanity  alone  tells  me,  are  not  possessed  by  all  those 

who  have  gone  before  me  to  this  field 

Ever  "your  affectionate  son,     W.  M.  Lowrie. 


Ningpo,  December  9th,  1846. 

James  Lenox,  Esq. — My  Dear  Sir: — Your  letter 
of  April  20th  has  been  lying  by  me  for  some  three 
months,  a  longer  period  than  usually  elapses  before 
I  answer  letters ;  but  my  time  has  been  much  occu- 
pied with  writing  appointed  me  by  the  mission,  and 
with  the  preparation  of  my  weekly  Chinese  dis- 
courses, which  take  much  of  the  time  that  I  once 
gave  to  correspondents. 

I  am  exceedingly  obliged  for  your  kindness  in 
regard  to  the  books.  On  several  occasions  we  have 
been  very  glad  to  have  some  at  hand ;  and  I  have 
no  doubt  they  have  been  a  means  of  doing  good, 
by  being  put  in  the  hands  of  persons  who  would 
otherwise  have  had  few  or  no  religious  books  near 
them. 

I  do  not  think  the  books  for  the  blind  w^ould  be  of 
service  here.  They  are,  of  course,  in  the  English 
language,  and  it  could  hardl}^  be  considered  a  pro- 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  323 

fitable  employment  for  us  to  turn  from  the  multitudes 
around  us,  and  spend  time  in  teaching  a  few  blind  per- 
sons to  read  a  strange  language.  One  or  two  at  each 
station,  as  a  curiosity,  and  to  show  the  Chinese  the 
comprehensive  benevolence  of  Christian  society,  which 
regards  even  the  dumb  and  the  bhnd,  would  doubt- 
less be  interesting.  My  teacher  was  exceedingly 
astonished  the  other  day,  when  I  showed  Mm  a  hymn 
for  the  blind,  which  I  happened  to  have,  in  raised 
letters.  The  idea  had  never  occurred  to  him  before.  I 
fear  it  would  be  impossible  to  adapt  it  to  the  Chinese 
language.  Even  with  "the  skin  burnt  off,''  the 
fingers  could  not  appreciate  the  fine  lines  of  our  many 
thousands  of  characters.  They  are  trying  enough 
even  to  the  eyes. 

I  have  been  trying  to  teach  my  teacher  lessons  in 
music,  partly  with  a  view  of  finding  thereby  what  are 
their  ideas  of  music;  but  the  experiment  has  not 
been  very  successful,  partly,  no  doubt,  because  I 
know  so  little  of  music  myself  I  wish  (when  will 
wishes  end  ?)  that  we  had  some  missionaries  here, 
who  were  adepts  in  musical  composition,  to  study 
the  nature  of  Chinese  music,  improve  it,  and  com- 
pose tunes  suited  to  Chinese  poetry.  It  seems  to 
me  rather  incongruous  to  tack  Ortonville,  Old  Hun- 
dred, &c.,  tunes  composed  for  English  w^ords,  to 
Chinese  poetry.  In  Luther's  judgment,  music  com- 
posed for  Latin  poems  was  unsuited  to  German  verse ; 
and  if  so,  foreign  music  must  be  still  more  unfit  for 
Chinese  verse.  But  I  feel  at  present  comparatively 
little  interest  in  singing  Chinese  poetry,  from  the  fact 
that  it  is  so  utterly  unintelhgible  to  the  mass  of  the 
people.  This  language,  I  mean  as  written,  is  one  of 
the  greatest  possible  barriers  to  the  spread  of  the 
gospel  here.  I  may  be  mistaken,  but  to  me  the  con- 
clusion seems  irresistible,  that  till  a  change  as  great 
as  that  which  came  over  the  languages  of  Europe  at 
the  Reformation,  comes  over  this  language,  it  will  be 
unfit  for  the  extensive  dissemination  of  truth  among 
the  mass  of  the  people; — I  mean,  of  course,  the 


324  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

written  language.  We  can  now  preach  the  gospel 
in  the  spoken  language;  but  the  spoken  language  is 
not  a  written  language ;  and  thus,  as  far  as  tiie  mass 
of  the  people  are  concerned,  we  have  no  means  of 
reaching  them,  except  by  the  living  preacher,  or  such 
of  their  own  educated  people  as  may  feel  interest 
enough  in  our  books  to  explain  them  to  the  people. 
Why^not  write  the  spoken  language?  It  nmy  be 
done,  but  not  in  a  day,  nor  in  a  year.  I  hope  to  see 
a  beginning  made  in  my  day,  but  it  must  come  gradu- 
ally, and  against  strong  opposition  and  contempt  from 
the  literati  of  the  country.  We  think  of  preparing 
some  books,  or  rather  sheet  tracts,  in  the  colloquial 
language  of  this  province ;  and,  as  a  means  of  making 
them  attractive,  in  spite  of  the  contempt  of  the  peo- 
ple for  what  seems  to  them  so  low,  we  want  to  have 
them  illustrated  with  pictures.  Pictures  are  like  the 
corks  which  hold  a  man  up  in  the  water  oftentimes ; 
at  least,  many  a  book  is  read  at  home  for  the  sake 
of  the  pictures,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  it  should 
not  be  so  here ;  and  we  shall  soon  make  an  apphca- 
tion  to  the  Committee  to  send  us  out  a  good  supply 
of  the  pictures  of  birds,  beasts,  utensils,  and  various 
figures,  prepared  by  type-founders,  which  are  pre- 
cisely what  we  want ;  and  I  feel  disposed  to  speak  for 
your  vote  in  the  Committee  beforehand.  Some  might 
laugh  at  the  idea  of  sending  such  things  to  a  mission- 
station;  but  really,  a  picture  of  a  steamboat,  or  rail- 
road car,  with  a  suitable  description,  or  pictures  of 
the  costumes  and  customs  of  diflerent  countries,  with 
short  accounts  of  them,  would  do  more  to  arouse  a 
spirit  of  inquiry,  and  awaken  the  dormant  mind  of 
this  people,  than  a  person  at  home,  accustomed  from 
infancy  to  such  things,  could  well  imagine.  Such  a 
book  as  the  New  England  Primer,  well  translated 
into  the  colloquial  dialects  of  this  country,  and  with 
good  pictures,  would  be  a  national  blessing.  The 
book  would  be  eagerly  taken  and  read  for  the  sake 
of  the  pictures.  It  may  be  said,  this  is  treating  the 
Chinese  like  children;  but  the  fact  is,  the  wisest  of 


MEMOIK   OF  WALTER   M.   LOAVRIE.  325 

them  are  ignorant  of  things  which  every  child  knows 
at  home ;  and  amidst  all  the  diversity  of  talents  which 
we  require,  and  can  employ  here,  scarcely  any  is 
better  than  aptness  to  be  an  "instructor  of  babes." 
....  Much  as  the  return  of  missionaries  is  de- 
plored by  our  friends  at  home,  it  can  hardly  be  felt 
by  you  so  much  as  it  is  by  us ;  its  effects  here  are 
almost  always  more  sensibly  felt  than  at  home.  Our 
little  number  diminished,  men  of  experience  taken 
away,  the  remaining  parties  discouraged;  the  heathen, 
judging  from  one,  that  all  are  equally  uncertain  to 
remain,  and  hence  feeling  less  interest  in  us ;  are  only 
a  part  of  the  difficulties.  But  has  the  question  ever 
been  fairly  studied  and  looked  at,  at  home?  It  is 
felt  that  something  is  wrong,  but  who  knows  where 
to  lay  the  blame  ?  or  where  to  apply  the  remedy  ? 
A  thought  has  often  occurred  to  me,  which  yet  I  feel 
some  delicacy  in  expressing.  The  difficulty,  or  one 
difficulty  is,  that  the  Church  expects  of  the  mis- 
sionary what  the  mass  of  chmxh-members  would  not 
do  themselves.  Now  it  is  hard  for  the  stream  to  rise 
higher  than  the  fountain ;  and  missionaries  generally 
possess  very  little,  if  any  more  piety  than  Christians 
at  home.  It  does  seem  unreasonable  for  those  who 
stay  at  home,  and  know  comparatively  httle  of  the 
pains  of  separation  from  friends,  of  loneUness  and 
isolation  among  the  heathen,  to  say  to  their  mission- 
aries, "  Good  brethren,  go ;  and  the  blessing  of  God 
go  with  you.  We  will  support  you,  and' pray  for 
you,  (?)  and  think  of  you,  and  read  your  letters; — 
hut  do  not  come  back  here.  If  you  do,  it  must  be  at 
the  risk  of  losing  much  of  your  influence,  and  being 
thought  to  be  tired  of  your  work,  and  you  had 
better  not  come."  Doubtless,  many  of  the  best 
friends  of  missions  would  be  flir  from  using  such 
lano'uage,  and  yet  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  it  is  the 
feeling  of  the  mass.  It  is  a  serious  question  whether 
those  who  use  such  language,  or  feel  such  senti- 
ments, are  entitled  to  use  it;  or  whether  they  should 
not,  first,  pluck  out  the  beam  before  they  spy  the 

28 


326  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.   LOWRIE. 

mote.  Now  it  strikes  me  that  it  would  be  better  to 
say,  "  Go  brethren,  and  labour  faithfully,  and  as  long 
as  you  can.  We  will  do  our  part.  We  do  not  ex- 
pect, and  we  do  not  wish,  you  to  forget  your  father 
land.  You  have  the  feelings  of  men  and  women,  of 
sons  and  daughters,  and  it  is  natural  and  right,  that 
you  should  at  times  long  for  Christian  intercourse 
with  the  great  congregation,  and  the  family  fireside. 
Should  these  feelings  become  strong  in  you,  we  shall 
not  interfere  with  your  once  more  visiting  your  aged 
parents;  but  shall  welcome  you  among  your  friends, 
and  endeavour  to  fit  you  to  go  forth  again  with  re- 
newed vigour  to  your  work.  Only  remember  you  are 
the  Lord's,  and  may  not  needlessly  or  extravagantly 
use  his  time,  even  for  objects  so  sacred,  as  cultivat- 
ing the  kindlier  feelings  of  3^our  hearts."  Some 
such  language  as  this,  expresses  the  feeling  I  would 
like  to  see  among  the  churches.  My  meaning  is,  that 
it  ought  to  be  understood  and  allowed,  and  in  many 
cases  approved,  that  a  missionary,  after  a  certain  time^ 
should  have  the  right  to  return  home  on  a  visit. 
The  Church  ought  not  to  require  exile,  as  many 
seem  disposed  to  do.  I  am  satisfied  that  to  have 
it  understood  on  all  hands,  that  a  man  had  a  right  to 
see  once  more,  those  whom  he  cannot  but  long  to 
see,  would  have  no  tendency  to  increase  the  number 
of  returns  home.  It  would  make  most  men  and  wo- 
men better  contented  to  stay  and  labour  ten  years, 
if  they  felt  that  at  the  end  of  that  time  there  would 
be  no  obstacle  to  a  visit  home  if  desired.  And  a 
person  who  had  spent  ten  years  in  heathen  land, 
would  not,  after  that,  want  to  leave  it  finally,  if  he 
had  the  smallest  portion  of  true  missionary  spirit. 
If  he  did,  it  would  probably  be  better  that  he 
should.  It  seems  to  me,  that  the  prospect  of  a 
cheerful  visit  home  would  encourage  many  a  man  to 
labour  on,  and  to  form  his  plans  for  life  here,  who 
might  be  appalled  by  the  idea  of  a  lifetime,  unre- 
lieved by  any  such  prospect;  nor  do  I  see  how  the 
mass  of  Christians  can  object  to  this,  without  either 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  327 

condemning  themselves  for  their  own  want  of  self- 
denial,  or  else  requiring  of  their  missionaries  to  re- 
nounce many  of  the  finest  feelings  of  their  nature. 

In  the  English  army  in  India,  the  officers  are  al- 
lowed after  ten  years'  service,  three  years'  furlough ; 
and  after  twenty  years,  to  retire  finally.  I  should 
be  sorry  to  see  the  latter  regulation  applied  to  our 
warfare ;  but  at  present  it  strikes  me,  that  the  privi- 
lege of  a  visit  home,  after  every  ten  years  of  service, 
for  a  much  less  period  than  three  years,  would  be  a 
saving  both  of  men  and  money  in  the  missionary 
cause.  There  are  some  who  would  not  embrace  it; 
most  persons  probably  would.  It  would  make  their 
first  ten  years  pass  more  pleasantly  away,  and  it 
would  revive  them  bodily,  and  menially,  and  sphit- 
xialhj^  for  the  next  ten  years;  and  at  the  end  of 
twenty  years,  if  they  wanted  to  leave  the  mission- 
ary field  it  would  probably  be  for  sufficient  reasons. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  sir,  very  truly  yours,  in 
Christian  bonds,  W.  M  Lowrie. 


Ningpo,  September  13th,  1846. 
To  THE  Rev.  John  Lloyd  — Dear  Brother 
John: — You  will  judge  from  the  date  of  this  let- 
ter (Sabbath  evening),  that  it  is  not  to  be  about 
everything  under  the  sun.  I  do  not  know  how 
it  strikes  every  person,  but  occasionally  I  like 
to  spend  a  part  of  the  Sabbath  evening  in  Christ- 
ian conversation  with  an  absent  friend,  and  I  do 
not  know  that  it  is  more  improper  to  converse 
with  pen  and  ink,  than  by  word  of  mouth.  .  .  .  Your 
note  of  July  1st,  inclosing  a  letter  from  J.  M.  L., 
came  two  days  ago,  and  your  note  of  Aug.  27th, 
reached  me  this  morning.  ...  In  several  notes  you 
have  spoken  of  a  wish  to  be  near  me.  I  heartily 
wish  it  could  be  so,  but  I  fear  you  would  find  only 
a  very  weak  and  bruised  reed  to  lean  on,  if  you 
expected  any  good  from  me.     You  would  not  ex- 


328  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

pect  much  if  you  knew  me  better.  God  is  showinj^ 
me  of  late  in  a  very  painful  way  that  in  mj^self  I 
am  nothing, — can  do  nothing,  and  am  utterly  sinful 
and  vile  ;  and  the  way  he  shows  it  is  by  leaving  me 
to  myself,  to  walk  on  in  my  Christian  course,  and 
to  do  my  duties  without  any  sensible  support  of  his 
grace ;  and  the  consequence  is,  that  I  am  very  low. 
Oh,  how  man}^  bitter  things  I  write  against  myself! 
but  the  worst  is,  my  utter  deadness — no  life  or  de- 
light in  prayer,  the  Scriptures,  or  meditation.  What 
dreadful  things  these  hearts  of  ours  are !  It  amazes 
me  to  think  that  God  can  be  gracious  to  people 
naturally  so  vile,  and  wdio  sin  so  grievously  after 
conversion.  I  preached  a  week  ago  on  the  prodigal 
son's  departing  from  his  father's  house.  I  felt  the 
subject  a  good  deal  myself,  and  several  of  the  little 
audience  were  in  tears;  but  alas,  I  do  not  seem  to 
have  ."come  back"  jet.  To-day  was  our  commu- 
nion, but  I  found  little  or  no  benefit.  There  has 
been  much  strangeness  between  God  and  my  soul 
for  many  months  past,  and  often  a  great  reluctance 
to  close  and  faithful  dealing  with  myself.  So  dead 
that  I  have  lost  the  savour  of  spiritual  things,  and 
the  perception  of  the  beauties  of  the  Bible,  and  sel- 
dom draw  nigh  unto  God.  I  seem  to  satisfy  m3^self 
with  very  faint  services.  Oh  to  be  revived !  and 
yet  this  lazy  heart  would  be  revived  without  effort 
on  my  own  part.  Awake,  thou  that  sleepest !  Alas ! 
I  am  so  soon  wearied  in  my  efforts.  Like  the  little 
flying-fish,  but  a  moment  up,  and  then  back  in  tlie 
troubled  waters  of  this  hcaA^ng,  restless  world.  Oh 
Lord  God,  give  me  wings,  and  enable  me  to  breathe 
the  pure  and  spiritual  atmosphere  of  heaven.  I  find 
myself  by  nature  diseased  by  sin,  which,  like  the 
leprosy,  affects  my  whole  frame.  Yea,  "  the  plague 
is  in  his  head."  Yea,  the  "  whole  head  is  sick,  and 
the  whole  heart  faint;"  and  thus  I  neither  pro- 
perly appreciate,  nor  comprehend  spiritual  things, 
nor  feel  them  aright;  therefore  I  am  unclean,  separ- 
ated from  the  society  of  the  holy,  dwelhng  without 


MExMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  329 

the  precincts  where  the  people  of  God's  love  are. 
How  deep  should  be  my  sorrow,  and  self-loathing, 
and  abasement!  and  how  should  I  come  to  him 
whose  word  can  cleanse. — Lev.  xiii.  44-46. 

But  I  trust  I  am  one  of  God's  people,  and  yet 
even  this  is  but  renewed  reason  for  humiliation. 
"My  people  have  committed  two  evils."  "For- 
saken God,  the  fountain  of  living  waters;"  what 
greater  despite,  contempt,  unbelief,  and  sin,  than 
this?  And  "hewn  out  broken  cisterns  which  can 
hold  no  water."  How  true  is  this !  It  is  so  with 
me.  ^  Made  for  God ;  heart  disquieted  till  it  rests 
in  him ;  and  yet  umvilling  to  come  to  him ;  and  on 
the  contrary,  seeking  rest  in  creatures !  Well  may 
heaven  and  earth  be  astonished  at  this! — Jer.  ii. 
12,  13. 

I  trust  I  have  not  wholly  forsaken  God's  service, 
but  there  is  small  comfort  in  this.  It  has  been  with 
but  half  a  heart  that  1  have  served  him.  I  have 
sought  happiness  in  my  study,  books,  correspond- 
ence, business,  friends;  and  with  a  half  heart  to 
them  and  a  half  heart  to  God,  how  miserably  have 
I  gone  on !  Oh  Lord,  unite  my  heart  to  fear  thy 
name!  Psalm  Ixxxvi.  11.  It  is  impossible  to  serve 
God  if  the  whole  heart  be  not  his.  If  with  a  half 
heart,  then  as  good  none  at  all.  Thus  with  my 
half  heart  I  have  fallen  asleep,  and  am  become 
dead.  Oh  let  me  now  awake,  and  arise  from  the 
dead,  and  may  he  who  is  the  light  of  the  world  give 
me  light!  Eph.  v.  14.  None  but  he  can  do  it. 
Blessed  Jesus,  raise  me  to  thyself  and  shine  into 
my  heart  with  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
glorv  of  God,  of  which  1  now  know  so  little.  2  Cor. 
IV.  o.  Let  me  rise  with  thee,  and  being  risen,  let 
me  seek  those  thing^  which  are  above  where  thou 
sittest.  Col.  iii.  1.  1  have  too  often  forgotten  that 
he  who  is  risen  with  Christ,  must  still  seek  and 
labour.  Oh  let  me  forget  it  no  more,  and  thus 
labouring   and   believing,   praying  and  trusting,  I 


330  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

beseech  thee  show  me  thy  glory.  Ex.  xxxiii.  18; 
xxxiv.  6,  7. 

You  will  ask,  why  do  I  live  thus?  Because,  I  am 
"sold  under  sin,"  and  "the  good  I  would  I  do  not." 
I  know  I  ouscht  to  do  it,  and  am  guilty  for  not 
doing  it.  "  OK,  wretched  man  that  I  am,  who  shall 
deliver  me  from  this  body  of  death  ?"  Jesus  Christ 
our  head  ?  Yes,  but  there  is  the  worst  of  it.  Like 
the  prodigal  departing  from  his  father,  I  have  gone 
away  from  Christ,  and  therefore  have  no  life.  Pray 
for  me.     I  will  continue  this  strain  no  longer. 

We  have  much  reason  for  gratitude  in  not  being 
left  entirely  destitute  of  a  blessing  here.  As  many 
as  three  persons  have  hopefully  experienced  a 
change  of  heart  here  during  the  past  year.  One  of 
these  is  Azin,  Miss  Aldersey's  Chinese  servant,  a 
native  of  this  place,  who  was  baptized  to-day.  He 
has  been  inquiring  for  nearly  a  year,  and  after  a 
very  satisfactory  examination,  was  received  by  the 
Session  into  the  Church.  God  be  praised  for  this ! 
Oh  for  more  1  There  are  others  who  sometimes  give 
us  hopes,  but  we  are  often  grievously  disappointed. 
My  servant  seems  to  be  somewhat  serious,  but  I  dare 
not  hope  that  any  real  impression  has  been  made  on 
his  mind.  I  think  my  teacher  thinks  more  than  he 
is  willing  to  admit,  but  I  have  as  yet  no  hopes  of 
him.  What  a  dreadful  thin^  a  backwardness  to 
speak  on  religious  topics  is !  There  is  no  one  thing 
that  has  troubled  me  in  all  my  intercourse  so  much 
as  this.  No  duty  I  find  so  hard  to  perform,  or 
which  I  offcener  fail  in  attending  to.  Nothing  has 
caused  me  to  doubt  my  piety  so  much  as  this  one 
thing,  and  now  I  almost  despair  of  ever  overcoming 
it.  ''Out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth 
speaketh,"  but  if  I  am  judged  by  this  rule,  I  shall 
stand  very  low.  I  am  glad  others  are  not  so  defi- 
cient in  it  as  I  am. 

Monday,  14th.  Your  summer  has  been  very  cool, 
and  ours  excessively  hot.  Such  hot  weather,  a7id  so 
lon(/,  I  have  never  known.     After  having  the  ther- 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  331 

mometer  up  to  98°  and  100°  every  day  for  six  weeks, 
it  was  quite  a  luxury  to  find  it  rising  no  higher  than 
88°  and  90.°  It  is  now,  however,  and  has  been  for 
three  weeks,  very  pleasant,  and  has  been  down  as  low 
as  74°  at  night,  now  generally  below  80°  at  night,  and 
even  at  the  warmest  there  was  always  a  fall  of  10° 
to  15°  at  night.  I  do  not  think  we  could  have  lived 
through  it  if  it  had  not  been  for  this. 

Walsh,  at  Mynpurie,  speaks  of  122°  in  the  stm, 
as  very  hot.  We  have  had  it  much  higher  than 
that  in  the  sun  here ;  but  in  India  the  hot  weather 
lasts  much  longer  than  it  does  here. 

Why  do  we  never  see  your  lucubrations  in  the 
Chronicle,  or  Foreign  Missionary?  A  man  who 
holds  as  .ready  a  pen  as  you  do,  is  bound  to  let  it 
speak  pro  bono  jmblico.  Tell  Brother  Brown  I  am 
very  glad  he  has  commenced  at  the  right  end,  and 
I  hope  he  wiU  keep  on. 

I  am  engaged  of  late  in  preparing  a  report  on  the 
word  to  be  used  in  spealdng  the  name  of  God. 
We  are  pretty  unanimous  here  in  disapproving  of 
the  word  Shang-te,  as  it  is  perpetually  confounded 
with  the  Chinese  idol  of  the  same  name.  I  believe 
we  are  aU  in  favour  of  Shin,  and  I  have  been  q^uite 
surprised  at  the  amount  of  authority,  I  mean  from 
the  Chinese  classics,  in  favour  of  its  use.  What 
words  do  you  use?  and  how  do  they  take  with  the 
people?  I  would  like  much  to  hear  what  your 
custom  is. 

Believe  me,  ever  yours,  in  the  gospel  and  min- 
istry of  Christ,  W.  M.  Lowrie. 


Ningpo,  December  31st,  1846. 

PtEV.   John   C.   Lowrie — My  Dear   Brother: — 

Your  truly  welcome  letter  of  June  22d,  came  to 

hand  to-day.     I  know  not  why  it  was  so  long  on 

the  road.     A  letter  from  another  person  in  New 


332  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

York,  written  on  the  same  day,  reached  me  six 
weeks  ago.  But  we  have  to  submit  to  some  incon- 
venience up  here  about  our  correspondence. 

By  Grod's  grace  I  am  preaching,  though  it  be  with 
stammering  lips,  and  my  prospects  of  mastering  the 
langTiage  are  now  so  fair  that  I  would  be  very  un- 
willing to  leave  this  mission.  I  am,  therefore,  satis- 
fied and  anxious  to  remain ;  and  my  present  feeling, 
which  indeed  has  almost  always  been  my  feeling,  is 
not  to  leave  unless  the  Committee,  who  took  the"^  re- 
sponsibihty  of  sending  me  to  China,  will  take  the 
responsibility  of  sending  me  away.  I  am  glad  and 
happy  to  be  here.  It  is  true  I  am  lonely,  some- 
times very  lonely,  but  this  loneliness  is  appointed 
to  me  by  Him  who  knows  better  than  I  do  what  is 
best  for  me.  I  have  not  sought  it,  nor  run  into  it 
rashl}^,  and  in  due  season  it  will  be  diminished;  or 
if  not,  then  it  is  best  that  it  be  so,  and  I  will,  if  not 
gladly,  at  least  resignedly,  or  if  not  resignedly,  at 
least  praying  to  be  resigned,  confess  myself  a 
stranger  and  a  pilgrim  on  the  earth. 

The  clock  strikes  twelve,  p.  m.,  and  1847  has 
begun.  I  have  disobeyed  your  injunction ;  but,  in 
the  first  place,  it  is  very  seldom  that  this  happens. 
I  am  almost  always  in  bed  before  eleven.  Second, 
I  was  anxious  to  write  as  much  of  this  letter  as 
possible,  for  it  must  be  closed  to-morrow  or  next 
day.  I  must  confess  I  did  not  mean  to  spin  it  out 
so  long.  Third,  I  do  not  disapprove  of  seeing  the 
New  Year  in,  and  commencing  it  with  pra3'er.  I 
wish  you,  and  yours,  a  happy  New  Year. 

I  am  always  interested  in  the  accounts  of  your 
church,  and  pray  for  a  blessing  on  it.  If  3^ou  are 
ever  "disheartened"  with  any  among  the  people 
3^ou  have  to  deal  with,  just  fancy  what  kind  of  con- 
gregations /have.  I  will  tr}^  and  give  you  a  peep 
at  one,  some  of  these  days,  and  you  will  not  dare 
to  say  a  word  after  that.  That  leads  me  to  ask, 
how  much  egofisin  is  allowable  occasionally  in  arti- 
cles for  the  Chronicle  ?     I  could  write  an  article 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  333 

now,  on  preaching  to  a  heathen  audience,  which 
might  surprise  and  edify  some  of  your  readers,  and 
give  them  juster  views  of  the  real  nature  of  mis- 
sionary work,  than  fifty  Tabernacle  speeches.  I 
am  not  boasting,  for  I  grieve  over  a  vast  many 
speeches  about  missions  that  are  published;  they 
are  well  meant,  but  all  wrong.  But  to  give  such 
an  article,  I  must  enter  into  my  own  feehngs  pretty 
deeply,  and  write  just  as  I  would  talk  to  you,  or 
any  other  dear  friend,  and  the  little  pronoun  "I" 
must  come  forward  pretty  often.  This  is  rather 
hazardous;  some  really  humble  men,  like  Brother 
Sawyer,  could  do  it  very  well;  but  there  are  very 
few  who  can  do  it.  Yet  really,  as  far  as  I  can  see, 
such  relations  of  one's  own  experience  are  among 
the  most  interesting  and  profitable  articles;  for 
many  a  man,  if  he  has  only  the  right  spirit,  may 
write  an  article  of  that  kind  well,  who,  if  he  at- 
tempted to  write  an  edifying  article  on  general  prin- 
cix)les,  would  soon  become  very  dull. .  .  . 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


JOURNAL   AT   NLNGPO. 

June  11th.  There  has  been  some  talk  of  poison- 
in*^  of  late  in  a  district  about  a  hundred  miles  from 
Ningpo,  and  some  placards  have  been  sent  here  and 
pasted  up  in  conspicuous  places,  warning  the  people 
not  to  take  up  articles  of  food  that  may  be  found  in 
the  streets,  lest  they  should  contain  poison.  To-day 
my  servant  came  in  great  trepidation,  and  said  he 
had  heard  people  say  that  a  man  in  the  city,  having 
eaten  a  cake,  became  suddenly  ill,  and  his  body  be- 
coming black  all  over,  he  soon  died.  This  has 
aroused  suspicion  that  the  poisoners  are  abroad 
here.     In  consequence  of  this,  some  persons  have 


334  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

had  a  larc^e  nnmber  of  the  above  mentioned  pla- 
cards printed  oif  here  and  distributed  about.  This  is 
considered  a  very  meritorious  act,  though  almost  the 
only  efl'ect  it  can  have,  Avill  be  to  create  a  panic  ter- 
ror aniono;  the  people. 

June  12th.  The  talk  of  poisoning  is  more  gen- 
eral than  ever;  and  a  man  having  been  taken  sick 
after  eating  a  cake  bought  in  a  shop,  the  shopkeeper 
was  taken  before  the  mayor  of  the  city,  and  sen- 
tenced to  be  beaten  with  forty  strokes  of  the  bam- 
boo. This  was  chiefly  to  pacify  the  people,  for 
many  say  that  even  if  the  cake  was  the  cause  of  the 
sickness,  there  is  no  proof  that  it  was  not  left  in  the 
shop  by  some  evil-minded  person  without  the  know- 
ledge of  the  shopman.  Among  a  multitude  of  reports 
that  are  flying  about,  for  the  people  are  fairly  panic- 
stricken,  is  one  which  says  that  about  one  hundred 
persons  have  lost  their  hves  in  Seaou-shan,  and  an- 
other, that  a  Buddhist  priest  there  being  detected, 
or  at  least  suspected  of  being  concerned  in  the  nefa- 
rious business,  was  seized  by  the  people  and  on  ex- 
amination was  found  to  have  cakes  and  rolls,  and 
drugs  of  various  kinds  concealed  about  his  person. 
In  all  probability  the  whole  affair  is  a  panic. 

The  summer  of  1846  is  likely  to  be  long  memo- 
rable in  Ningpo,  on  account  of  the  many  calamities, 
some  real  and  some  imaginary,  with  which  it  was 
accompanied.  The  3'ear  has  been  fWiitful  in  terrors, 
and  some  were  so  wide-spread  that  it  Avas  impossible 
to  collect  all  the  facts,  or  a  tenth  part  of  the  reports 
concerning  them.  Some  of  us  heard  one  set  of  sto- 
ries, and  some  another,  and  even  contradictory 
statements,  which  must  account  for  some  of  the  dis- 
crepancies between  the  following  sketch  and  some 
others  that  you  may  have  seen. 

The  month  of  April  was  distinguished  by  a  sea- 
son of  unusually  rainy  weather.  There  were  but  one 
or  two  fair  days  in  the  whole  month,  and  most  of 
the  time  the  rain  fell  in  torrents.  It  is  in  the  month 
of  April  that  the  rice  is  transplanted,  and  though 


MEMOIR   OP   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  335 

some  rain  is  required  for  this  purpose,  a  superabun- 
dance is  a  great  evil,  which  was  the  case  this  year. 
In  consequence  of  the  rain,  the  officers  of  the  city, 
about  the  middle  of  the  month,  appointed  sacrifices, 
and,  by  way  of  further  propitiation,  ordered  that  for 
the  space  of  seven  days  no  swine  should  be  slaugh- 
tered for  food.  This  is  called  the  Kin-too,  or  prohi- 
bition of  slaughtering,  and  is  frequently  resorted  to 
in  times  of  distress.  But  their  miserable  idols  did 
not  hear  their  prayers,  and,  as  a  last  resort,  about 
the  end  of  the  month,  some  of  them  were  put  out  in 
the  rain !  The  rain  ceased  soon  after  this,  and  the 
people  continued  mad  on  their  idols. 

During  the  month  of  May  but  little  rain  fell,  and 
the  weather  became  rather  warm,  though  not  op- 
pressively so.  The  summer  of  1845  had  been  so 
mild  and  pleasant  that  we  did  not  think  of  the 
weather  becoming  unusually  hot  this  year.  But  the 
months  of  June,  July,  and  August,  were  dreadfully 
hot.  None  of  us  had  before  experienced  such  long- 
continued  hot  weather.  During  the  three  3^ears 
that  I  was  in  Macao,  although  that  place  is  eight  de- 
grees farther  south  than  this,  and  in  the  torrid  zone, 
the  thermometer  never  rose  so  high  as  it  did  here 
day  after  day. 

From  the  experience  of  the  past  summer,  we  have 
been  completely  convinced  that  good  houses  are  in- 
dispensable to  health  in  this  climate.  We  are  at 
present  all  living  in  Chinese  houses,  which  are  not 
made  for  constitutions  like  ours.  The  low  rooms 
and  thin  roofs  and  walls,  are  miserable  defences 
against  the  heat  of  such  burning  suns.  It  is  true 
we  are  not  likely  to  have  many  summers  so  hot  as 
the  past,  for  even  the  natives  spoke  of  it  as  "  extra- 
ordinarily hot;"  but  we  shall  have  them  occasion- 
ally, and  houses  built  under  our  own  inspection, 
might  be  so  arranged  as  to  diminish  much  of  their 
oppressiveness. 

Next  added  to  the  oppressiveness  of  the  heat, 
was  the  fearful  drought.     I  have  spoken  of  the 


336  MEMOIR   OF    WALTER    M.   LOWRIE. 

abundant  rains  of  April.  They  were  followed  by  a 
four  months'  drought,  which,  like  Pharaoh's  lean 
kine,  devoured  up  every  remembrance  of  the  preced- 
ing rains.  During  the  months  of  May,  June,  July, 
and  August,  but  one  copious  shower  fell;  and  most 
of  the  time  the  heavens  over  us  were  as  brass,  and 
the  earth  as  powder  and  dust  beneath  our  feet. 
Clouds  sometimes  sailed  over  our  heads,  or  gathered 
on  the  hills  around  the  city,  and  sometimes  the 
thunder  and  a  few  drops  of  rain  excited  our  hopes, 
but  they  passed  away  again,  and  more  than  once  I 
have  heard  natives  of  the  place  say,  as  they  saw 
them  disappear:  Teenpuh  kung  lo  yii^ — ^'Heaven  is 
unwilling  to  drop  rain."  Vegetation  suffered  ex- 
ceedingly. The  deepest  canals  were  drained  dry  in 
the  vam  attempt  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  grow- 
ing rice-crops.  The  canals  being  dry,  the  internal 
navigation  of  the  country  was  in  great  measure 
stopped.  Deep  anxiety  sat  on  many  faces.  Public 
processions  were  appointed  in  honour  of  the  gods, 
and  the  oflftcers  of  the  city,  on  two  or  three  separate 
occasions  issued  the  Kin-too,  which  was  at  last  ob- 
served so  rigidly,  that  for  nearly  a  month  a  pound 
of  pork  could  be  obtained  only  by  stealth  and  pre- 
vious arrangement. 

"  When  shall  we  have  rain  T  It  assumes  a  very 
serious  aspect,  now  that  for  so  long  a  time  we  have 
had  none. 

As  if  the  real  evils  of  the  heat  and  drought  were 
not  enough,  the  people  added  others  from  their  own 
folly  and  superstitions.  I  have  already  spoken  of 
the  alarm  caused  by  the  report  of  poisoners.  This 
foolish  story  gradually  died  away  during  the  month 
of  July,  but  was  succeeded  by  another  equally  ap- 
palling, of  which  the  following  extracts,  entered  in 
my  journal  at  the  time,  will  give  some  account: 

August  1,  1846.  There  has  been  no  little  excite- 
ment here  for  a  few  daj^s  past,  on  account  of  a  sup- 
posed visitation  of  evil  spmts.  It  seems  that  some 
persons  living  in  the  main  street  were  awakened  a 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  337 

few  nights  ago  by  a  great  noise,  as  though  a  large 
body  of  disorderly  men  Avere  marching  and  carous- 
ing through  the  streets.  On  looking  out,  however, 
nobody  was  seen,  and  the  conclusion  drawn  was  that 
the  noise  had  been  caused  by  chejin,  paper  men.* 
The  story  spread,  and  it  was  speedily  reported  that 
there  were  three  thousand  evil  spirits,  that  they  had 
been  to  Yuyaou  and  Funghwa,  and  have  now  come 
here,  and  will  soon  visit  Chinhai  and  Chusan.  Of 
course  they  can  have  come  for  no  good  purpose,  and 
to  drive  them  away,  gongs  and  drums  have  been 
beaten  and  crackers  fired  for  several  nights,  filling 
the  air  with  a  deafening  noise  for  hours  together. 
This  has  caused  a  great  demand  for  gongs,  and  it  is 
said  that  the  gong  shops  in  the  city  have  disposed 
of  nearly  all  they  had  on  hand.  In  default  of  gongs, 
brass  kettles  are  supposed  to  be  nearly  as  efficacious. 
Strips  of  yellow  paper  with  four  mystical  characters, 
whose  sound  and  signification  no  one  pretends  to 
know,  have  been  sold  by  myriads,  and  pasted  up 
over  every  door  and  window,  hoping  to  prevent  the 
entrance  of  the  evil  spiiits. 

The  reason  for  beating  the  gongs  is  thus  explained : 
There  are  two  great  principles  called  the  Yang  and 
the  Yin,  under  which  all  substances  material  or  im- 

*  These  paper  men  seem  to  hold  the  same  position  in  the  superstitions 
of  China  that  the  *'  familiar  spirits,"  held  in  the  times  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, or  the  "evil  spii"its,"  under  the  control  of  conjurers  and  witches 
of  our  own  and  other  Christian  lands.  In  the  History  of  the  Three 
States,  which  is  probably  the  most  popular  book  of  light  reading  in  the 
Chinese  language,  is  the  following  notice  of  them:  "When  the  battle 
began,  Chang-paou  commenced  his  magical  arts,  whereupon  arose  a  great 
tempest  of  wind  and  thunder ;  the  dust  flew  about ;  the  stones  rolled 
over  ;  a  black  cloud  overspread  the  heavens;  and,  as  it  revolved,  men  and 
horses  came  down  from  above.  Thereupon,  at  a  convenient  place,  Heu- 
enteh  gave  the  signal,  and  his  men  poured  out  the  mixture  of  the  blood 
of  swine,  sheep  and  dogs,  previously  prepared.  By  doing  this  the  power 
of  the  magic  spell  was  broken,  and  nothing  was  seen  in  the  heavens  ex- 
cept paper  men  and  straw  horses  rapidly  falling.  The  wind  and  thunder 
ceased  to  sound,  the  sand  and  stones  became  quiet  again,  and  Chang-paou 
seeing  his  schemes  confounded,  turned  his  head  to  flee,  and  his  followers 
were  defeated  with  prodigious  slaughter."  In  the  colloquial  dialect  of 
Ningpo,  chejin  is  changed  into  tsz'  ane,  and  may  be  expi-essed  in  Eng- 
lish either  by  witches  or  evil  spirits. 
29 


338  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

material  are  supposed  to  be  arranged.  These  two  are 
in  perpetual  opposition,  and  if  either  one  of  theiji 
attains  too  much  ascendency,  great  confusion  is  the 
inevitable  result.  It  so  happens  that  the  evil  spirits 
which  cause  all  the  present  disturbance  belong  to  the 
Yin  principle,  while  the  sound  of  brass  vessels  be- 
longs to  the  Yang.  By  beating  the  brass  vessels  the 
Yang  principle  will  be  enabled  to  resist  the  too  great 
ascendency  of  the  Yin,  which  is  shown  in  the  pre- 
sent incursion  of  evil  spirits,  and  thus  it  is  hoped 
order  will  be  again  restored.  Great  excitement  pre- 
vails in  the  city,  and  all  the  higher  officers  are  going 
in  state  to  the  temples,  to  pray  that  the  evil  sj)irits 
may  be  driven  away. 

August  3d.  We  were  aroused  shortly  after  three 
o'clock,  A.  M.,  by  an  earthquake.  Having  been  sound 
asleep,  it  was  some  moments  before  I  became  aware 
of  the  real  cause  of  the  disturbance.  There  was  a 
dull  heavy  roaring  in  the  air,  coming  from  the  north 
gate  of  the  city,  and  the  roof  of  the  house  moved  as 
if  being  gradually  lifted  off  by  a  strong  wind.  Think- 
ing it  was  a  strong  wind,  I  was  about  to  get  up  and 
close  the  windows,  when  I  perceived  that  the  bed 
and  the  whole  house  were  moving  from  end  to  end. 
Jumping  up,  and  going  to  the  window,  I  observed 
that  the  motion  still  continued,  and  being  now  sen- 
sible of  what  it  was,  and  fearing  lest  the  house 
should  fall,  I  ran  down  stairs  and  out  of  the  doors, 
and  called  to  my  people,  who  were  all  awake,  to 
come  out.  The  motion,  however,  had  ceased  before 
I  got  out.  All  this  took  up  probably  less  than  a 
minute,  though  how  long  the  shock  might  have  lasted 
before  I  was  awaked,  I  do  not  know.  The  conster- 
nation that  prevailed  in  the  city  was  indescribable. 
Owing  to  the  rumours  and  panic  caused  by  the  fear 
of  the  evil  spirits,  many  people  have  been  sitting  up 
for  several  nights  past,  and  when  the  shock  came  it 
was  so  violent  that  even  the  sleepers  were  awakened, 
and  the  universal  idea  was  that  the  evil  spirits  were 
coming  to  take  the  city  by  storm.     The  inmates  of 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  339 

the  house  next  door  to  mine  set  up  a  terrific  shriek, 
and  in  an  instant  the  whole  city  with  its  quarter  of 
a  million  of  mhabitants,  rang  with  the  beating  of 
gongs,  the  firing  of  rockets  and  crackers,  and  the 
shouts  and  crying  of  men  in  terror.  To  increase  the 
alarm  a  bright  falHng  star  shot  from  the  zenith  to 
the  north,  leaving  a  long  train  of  light  behind  it,  and 
to  many  terrified  imaginations  it  doubtless  seemed 
as  if  the  Yin  and  Yang  principles  were  wrapped  in 
endless  confusion,  and  heaven  and  earth  about  to 
end.  The  noise  and  beating  of  gongs  continued 
so  long  and  loud  that  it  was  impossible  to  distinguish 
any  other  sounds.  I  regretted  this,  for  once  or  twice 
I  fancied  there  was  the  same  dull,  heavy  roar  that 
struck  me  on  first  awaking,  and  the  Chinese,  think- 
ing it  was  the  shouting  of  the  evil  spirits,  cried  out, 
"  There  they  are !  They  are  coming !"  It  may  have 
been,  however,  only  the  blended  sounds  of  rockets 
and  gongs,  and  the  cries  of  men  in  terror,  as  they 
rose  over  the  night  air.  It  was  with  difficulty  I 
could  prevent  even  my  own  servants  from  joining  in 
the  uproar,  and  one  oi  them  asked  me,  with  a  trem- 
bling voice,  "  Teacher,  is  this  the  evil  spirit's  com- 
ing ? '  Many  cried  like  children  when  in  fits  of  the 
extremest  terror.  It  was  a  solemn  thought  to  think, 
if  such  the  terror  occasioned  by  a  single  shock  of  an 
earthquake,  what  will  it  be  when  the  heavens  and 
the  earth  shall  pass  away  with  a  great  noise  ? 

August  9th.  In  consequence  of  the  earthquake, 
and  especially  the  strange  sounds  accompanying  it, 
the  belief  in  the  presence  of  evil  spirits  has  taken  a 
still  firmer  hold  on  the  minds  of  the  people.  Multi- 
tudes of  them  have  prepared  green  branches  of  trees, 
supposing  they  would  be  of  use  in  warding  off  the  in- 
visible foes,  and  the  most  absurd  rumours  are  abroad 
as  to  the  cause  of  this  visitation.  Many  attribute 
then-  coming  to  the  Roman  Cathohcs,  wdio  are  about 
rebuilding  the  chapel  which  they  possessed  here  in 
the  reign  of  Kanghe,  while  others  attribute  them  to 
the  Protestant  missionaries. 


340  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

One  of  our  missionaries  lives  in  the  western  part 
of  the  city,  and  the  people  around  him  look  with 
much  suspicion  on  him,  and  on  his  wife.  Among 
other  things,  they  have  it  reported  that  when  he 
and  his  wife  Avalk  on  the  wall  of  the  city  near  his 
house,  in  the  evening,  they  carry  a  bottle  containing 
a  number  of  these  invisible  people  with  them ;  it  is 
fiu'ther  reported,  that  Avhen  they  take  out  the 
cork  a  number  of  evil  spirits,  of  different  sizes,  come 
out  and  kneel  down  to  receive  his  commands,  and 
then,  on  a  signal,  disperse  themselves  over  the  city. 
Another  of  our  missionaries  is  reported  to  have 
forty-nine  of  the  evil  sj)irits  under  his  control,  and 
some  of  the  worthy  citizens  who  have  seen  me 
walking  on  the  wall  about  sunset,  have  reported 
that  they  saw  a  long  white  devil  walking  there. 
All  this  is  very  unpleasant;  the  people  are  be- 
coming excited  and  alarmed,  and  if  they  were  at 
all  of  the  disposition  of  the  mobs  in  Canton,  it 
would  not  be  difficult  to  arouse  them  to  wreak 
vengeance  on  the  few  defenceless  foreigners  here, 
whom  the}^  suppose  to  be  the  occasion  of  their  ca- 
lamities. One  immediate  effect  has  been,  quite  to 
break  up  my  soirees  on  the  wall.  I  had  been  in 
the  habit,  for  some  weeks,  of  sitting  down  to  enjoy 
the  cool  breeze  at  twilight,  on  the  wall  near  my 
house,  and  very  frequently  had  quite  a  little  con- 
gregation of  the  people  to  talk  to,  and  converse 
with  on  religion  and  general  topics,  but  now,  when 
I  sit  down  there,  not  one  comes  near  me. 

The  sound  of  a  shaken  leaf  terrifies  them.  My 
next  door  neighbours  heard  their  paper  windows  rat- 
tling last  night,  and  supposing  the  evil  spirits  were 
coming,  they  commenced  the  usual  shrieking,  shout- 
ing and  beating  of  gongs,  much  to  my  discomfort;  and 
there  is  scarcely  a  night  in  which  I  am  not  waked 
several  times  by  the  noises  around.  Last  night 
and  to-night  are  perhaps  the  crisis  of  the  afl'air, 
for  there  is  a  report  abroad,  that  six  persons  of  par- 
ticular classes,  will  die  to-night,  if  they  happen  to 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  o41 

fall  asleep.  In  consequence  of  this,  all  belonging 
to  those  classes  (such  as  were  born  under  the  in- 
fluence of  certain  constellations)  sat  up  all  last 
night,  and  will  sit  up  this  night,  fearing  that  if  they 
sleep,  they  will  be  of  the  number  of  the  six  that 
must  die. 

Verily,  "  gross  darkness  covers  the  people." 
August  21.  The  rumours  about  the  evil  spirits 
have  taken  a  firmer  hold  than  ever  of  the  people's 
minds,  and  the  most  ridiculous  stories  are  in  circula- 
tion. Some  men  have  had  their  queues  cut  off  at 
night — of  course  by  the  witches,  and  the  people  are 
becoming  excited.  The  drought  still  continues  ;  we 
have  been  tantalized  by  clouds,  and  a  drizzling  mist, 
yesterday  and  to-day,  but  they  are  clouds  without 
rain.  The  delusion  about  the  witches  has  spread 
all  over  the  province,  and  it  is  everywhere  attributed 
to  foreigners.  Placards  have  even  been  posted  up  at 
Ningpo,  saying  that  there  will  be  no  peace  here  till  the 
foreigners  are  extirpat^ed.  My  teacher  went  home 
a  few  days  ago,  and  found  his  family  in  the  greatest 
distress.  He  had  not  gone  home  for  nearly  a  month, 
and  they  thought  I  had  either  locked  nim  up,  or 
bewitched  him  that  he  could  not  go.  When  he 
laughed  at  his  neighbours  for  their  folly  in  beheving 
in  the  spirits,  they  said,  '^  Oh  yes  !  you  are  eating 
the  bread  of  the  foreigners,  and  it  is  very  well  for 
you  to  say  so."  One  of  Miss  Aldersey  s  adopted 
orphan  children  died  a  few  days  ago,  and  the  common 
report  is  that  she  murdered  it.  It  is  common  here 
to  keep  the  dates  of  people's  births  in  the  "temples 
for  astrological  purposes.  It  has  been  reported  that 
some  foreigners  have  been  copying  these  registers, 
and  that  all  whose  names  are  copied  will  surely 
die.  In  consequence  great  numbers  of  the  people 
have  gone  to  blot  their  names  out,  lest  the  foreigners 
should  lay  schemes  against  their  lives. 

August  22.  A  little  rain  last  night  and  to-day 
suppUes  us  with  water  to  .drink,  and  is  very  re- 
viving to  the  crops  and  to  the  hopes  of  the  people. 

29* 


342  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

But  still  there  is  not  enough  to  fill  the  canals  even 
partially. 

August  25.  As  a  last  resort  to  drive  away  the 
evil  spirits,  a  procession  has  been  got  up  in  honour  of 
Kwan-te,  the  god  of  war.  Tavo  companies  of  it 
went  past  my  house  on  the  wall  to-day,  in  one  of 
which  the  god  was  carried  along  in  great  state,  in  a 
chair  upborne  by  eight  bearers.  There  w^ere  dra- 
gons, lanterns,  gongs,  &c.,  &c.,  as  in  other  proces- 
sions ;  firing  of  crackers,  and  guns,  and  noises  of 
all  kinds.  Two  or  three  companies  of  soldiers 
formed  part  of  the  procession,  marching  in  beautiful 
disregard  of  time  and  order.  The  neighbouring 
foo  city  of  Shaou-hing  having  been  cleared  of  evil 
spirits  by  a  procession  in  honour  of  Kwan-te,  the 
people  of  this  city  are  induced  to  seek  deliverance 
in  the  same  manner.  How  dreadful  to  see  them 
so  given  up  to  idolatry  !  I  was  deeply  pained  as 
they  passed  my  house,  bearing  their  earthen  gods, 
and  performing  their  silly  ..jites.  Oh  Lord,  how 
long?  "^ 

August  26.  The  procession  is^  still  kept  up, 
going'  through  nearly  every  street  in  the  city.  As 
the  neighbourhood  around  my  house  seems  to  have 
been  particularly  infested  with  the  evil  spirits, 
probably  on  account  of  my  being  here,  a  second 
detachment  came  past  my  house  after  eleven  o'clock 
at  night.  The  effect  of  the  numerous  lanterns 
was  very  pretty,  but  it  is  sad  to  see  such  worship 
paid  to  men.  This  Kwan-te  flourished  about  sixteen 
hundred  years  ago.  He  is  one  of  the  three  great 
heroes  in  the  San  kwo  che,  or  History  of  the  Three 
States,  and  was  a  native  of  the  department  of  Shaou- 
hing,  which  borders  on  Ningpo. 

Nothing  was  heard  of  the  evil  spirits  after  the 
procession.  The  people  having  full  confidence  in 
the  power  of  Kwan-te,  their  imaginations  were  at 
rest,  and  the  evil  spirits  departed ! 

September  4.  KaiA  at  last!  More  rain  has 
fallen  to-day  than  all  that  has  fallen  since  the  first 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  o4d 

of  May.     It  is  a  great  blessin^^.     "He  sendeth  rain 
on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust/ 

September  5.  In  consequence  of  the  rain  the 
Kin-too,  or  prohibition  of  slaughtering  animals  for 
food,  after  being  in  force  for  several  Aveeks,  has  been 
withdrawn.  Images  of  the  gods  from  all  the  dif- 
ferent temples  had  been  collected  at  one  place,  for 
the  com^enience  of  the  chief  officers  of  the  city, 
who  went  there  daily  to  pray  to  them  altogether  to 
send  rain.  In  consequence  of  the  rains,  they  have 
now  been  all  taken  back  to  their  respective  temples. 

October  3.  The  long  drought  of  the  summer  has 
been  followed  by  a  month  of  rains,  nearly  as  fatal 
to  the  hopes  of  the  husbandman.  The  canals  are 
full  and  overflowing,  and  the  fields  are  flooded. 
Withal  it  is  cool,  and  it  is  now  doubtful  whether 
the  crops  will  ripen.  The  first  crop  was  short,  and 
the  second  crop,  after  being  withered  by  the  drought, 
and  nearly  drowned  by  the  rain,  is  not  in  a  condition 
to  come  to  maturity  in^|e  moderate  and  cool  weather 
now  coming  on.  A  pMn-looking  man,  in  the  ferry- 
boat, as  I  crossed  over  to-day,  was  expressing  his 
belief  that  the  gods  pay  no  attention  to  what  is 
done  on  the  earth.  "In  the  spring  they  heard  not 
the  prayers  for  dry  weather.  In  the  summer  they 
heard  not  the  prayers  for  rain.  Now  it  is  raining 
too  much.  I  believe  that  heaven  rains  just  to 
please  itself." 

In  consequence  of  the  cool  weather,  but  a  very 
small  portion  of  the  second  crop  of  rice  was  worth 
anything.  In  many  fields  the  farmers  did  not  at- 
tempt to  gather  it. 

October  4th,  1846.  To-day  commenced  a  Chinese 
service  in  my  house.  Put  up  a  notice  at  the  door, 
inviting  choo  ixmg  jjew,  "all  the  friends,"  to  come 
and  hear ;  prepared  seats  for  about  forty ;  and  about 
the  hour  my  servant  went  to  the  door  and  invited 
the  passers-by  to  come  in.  Except  that  the  words 
were  spoken  with  a  totally  opposite  intention,  they 
were  remarkably  apropos.     See  Prov.  ix.  15^  16,  to 


344  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

call  passengers  who  go  right  on  then' ways.  "Whoso 
is  simple  let  him  turn  in  hither,  and  as  for  him  that 
wanteth  understanding,"  &c.  Some  came  in  with 
their  burdens ;  some  looking  half  afraid ;  some  ran 
right  out  again ;  some  stood  up ;  some  sat  down;  some 
smoked  their  pipes ;  some  said,  "  what  is  the  use  of 
staying,  he  is  a  foreigner,  and  we  do  not  understand 
foreign  talk  ?"  the  attention  was  none  of  the  best,  for 
it  required  all  my  courage  and  presence  of  mind  to 
keep  going,  and  the  people  feehng  quite  free  to  talk 
and  make  remarks,  I  got  along  no  better  than  I  an- 
ticipated. I  am  not  discouraged,  though  by  no 
means  flattered  by  the  result  of  this  day's  experi- 
ment.    There  were  about  forty  persons  present. 

October  16th.  A  revolting  instance  of  cruelty 
occurred  opposite  my  window.  A  poor  beggar  who 
had  only  a  coarse  thin  pair  of  trowsers,  and  a  straw 
mat  for  his  shoulders,  in  weather  when  I  find  wool- 
len clothes  comfortable,  had  by  some  means  obtained 
eighty  cash,  equal  to  five  cents,  from  a  Chinese  of 
this  place.  This  morning  me  creditor  came  upon 
him  for  the  money,  and  as  he  had  not  wherewith  to 

Eay  him,  began  to  beat  him  unmercifully.  First, 
e  struck  him  on  the  head  and  face  with  his  fist; 
then  he  caught  him  by  the  hair,  and  beat  him  on 
the  arms;  then  he  took  his  queue  or  tail  in  one 
hand,  and  putting  his  foot  on  the  poor  man's  back, 
pulled  till  1  thought  the  man's  hair  would  have 
come  all  out ;  then  he  struck  him  again  fiercely  in 
the  face ;  and  finally  taking  off  his  shoe,  he  began 
beating  him  on  the  bare  back.  The  beggar  all  this 
time  made  no  resistance,  but  uttered  piteous  cries, 
and  falhng  down  beat  his  head  on  the  pavement, 
asking  mercy !  Several  Chinese  passed,  and  some 
looked  on,  but  none  made  any  attempt  to  interfere. 
Finding  the  brute  continued  his  beating,  I  could 
stand  it  no  longer,  and  going  down,  I  laid  my  stick 
on  his  back  not  very  gently.  He  looked  up  in  some 
surprise,  and  seemed  half  enraged  and  half  fright- 
ened, to  find  a  foreigner  interferins;.     I  asked  him 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LO^VRIE.  345 

what  he  meant,  and  why  he  beat  the  beggar  so  ? 
He  sputtered  out  some  words,  but  began  to  edge  off, 
as  if  he  would  hke  to  be  away;  so  I  told  him  to 
clear  out,  and  gave  him  another  blow  with  my  stick. 
I  had  half  a  notion  to  break  it  over  his  bacK.  He 
seemed  glad  to  get  off  so  well,  and  went  away  in  a 
hurry.  The  poor  beggar's  gratitude  was  inexpressi- 
ble. He  lay  down,  beat  his  head  on  the  ground, 
and  between  his  sobs  and  tears  and  bleeding  face, 
let  me  know  how  much  he  was  obliged  to  me.  I 
gave  him  a  few  cash,  and  one  of  my  servants,  who 
seemed  much  interested,  gave  him  an  old  garment. 
Quite  a  crowd  had  come  around  us,  who  seemed 
quite  pleased  at  the  turn  aff^iirs  had  taken. 

October  18th.  A  larger  and  better  audience  than 
I  have  yet  had,  and  very  attentive.  Oh,  for  a  bless- 
ing! Otherwise  it  is  only  speaking  to  dry  bones. 
One  young  man  among  others  who  stayed  after  the 
service,  was  anxious  to  defend  himself  from  the 
charge  of  the  folly  of  idolatry,  and  declared  the 
monks  and  the  nuns  were  a  great  nuisance ;  that  he 
thought  the  monks  had  better  marry  the  nuns,  let 
their  hair  grow,  destroy  the  temples,  and  follow  the 
advice  of  Confucius,  to  "  honour  the  gods  and  keep 
them  at  a  distance." 

October  25th.  Service  not  so  well  attended  to- 
day; more  disorder,  fewer  persons,  and  less  atten- 
tion ;  must  expect  difficulty  in  keeping  up  the  ser- 
vices. If  it  is  hard  to  command  full  and  attentive 
audiences  at  home,  how  much  more  so  here,  where 
the  preacher  is  at  best  but  imperfectly^  understood, 
speaks  of  strange  subjects,  sanctified  in  the  mind 
of  his  hearers  by  no  familiar  or  early  associations, 
and  of  which  they  see  no  possible  use?  Surely 
were  it  not  for  the  word  of  God,  the  missionary  en- 
terprise were  the  most  foolish  experiment  of  the 
age.     Oh,  for  God's  Spirit!     What  can  man  do? 

November  1st.  A  rainy  da}^,  but  a  good  many 
people  in  the  street,  going  past  my  house  :  though 
the    most   of    them   carried   burdens   or   bundles. 


346  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

There  are  many  weddings  about  this  time,  and  I 
expected  a  small  audience  ;  made  all  my  prepara- 
tions, however,  and  went  to  my  chapel ;  sat  awhile, 
and  one  man  came  in  and  sat  down ;  determined  to 
keep  him  if  I  could ;  I  commenced  a  conversation, 
but  he  seemed  frightened  at  finding  himself  alone, 
and  remarked,  "  nobody  has  come  yet,  and  I'll  not 
stop  now,  I'll  come  back  soon  !"  So  off  he  went, 
and  came  no  more.  Many  passed  the  door,  a  few 
looked  at  the  notice,  but  all  went  their  ways,  one  to 
his  farm,  another  to  his  merchandise.  After  waiting 
till  I  was  satisfied  that  nobody  would  come,  (my  ser- 
vant had  already  invited  a  number  of  the  passers-by 
to  come  in,)  I  shut  the  door,  and  went  and  prayed. 
Then  prepared  a  somewhat  attractive  card,  both  to 
paste  up  on  the  door,  and  to  distribute  about,  stating 
that  there  is  preaching  here,  &c.  If  this  does  not 
succeed,  then  I  see  no  way  but  to  get  a  better  loca- 
tion, or  to  go  out  into  the  streets  and  by-ways,  the 
highways  and  hedges,  and  speak  unto  them.  Pro- 
bably a  chapel  in  any  place,  after  the  novelty  wore 
off,  would  be  deserted ;  certainly,  I  suppose,  unless 
the  Sjurit  be  poured  out  from  on  high.  Oh  Lord, 
visit  this  people  ! 

Quite  cold  to-day ;  thermometer  down  to  51°, 
and  a  foot  stove  quite  comfortable. 

November  2d.  Quite  a  wintry  morning;  ther- 
mometer down  to  48"^,  which  is  much  lower  than 
we  saAv  it  during  this  whole  month  last  year ;  not 
prepared  for  it,  not  having  my  stove  up,  nor 
cracks  stopped ;  but  it  has  moderated  somewhat 
towards  evening. 

Went  to  call  on  the  Sz'  family,  the  head  of  which 
has  recently  died.  He  was,  take  him  all  in  all,  the 
most  respectable  man  I  have  known  in  Ningpo.  He 
died  of  apoplexy ;  might  probably  have  been  spared, 
had  the  family  been  willing  to  have  him  bled  ;  but 
as  the  Chinese  have  a  great  horror  of  blood-letting, 
they  would  not  consent,  and  the  poor  old  man  dieS 
by  inches.     Poor,  verily  !  for  he  knew  enough  of 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  347 

the  truth  and  rejected  it.  Oh  how  dreadful  is  the 
reflection,  that  in  the  vast  majority  of  cases,  our 
labours  only  seal  this  people  in  deeper  destruction! 
They  would  have  perished  if  we  had  not  come. 
We  come  and  speak  to  them  ;  they  refuse  to  receive 
our  words,  and  sink  into  deeper  misery.  But  are 
we  free  from  all  blame  in  this  ?  Do  they  see  us  so 
in  earnest  as  to  be  convinced  that  we  really  mean 
what  we  say  ?     I  fear,  often  not. 

November  15th.  In  the  afternoon  I  preached  on 
the  miracles  of  Christ,  to  a  small,  fluctuating,  and 
disorderly  congregation.  I  was  greatly  interrupted 
by  their  talking,  and  especially  by  a  crowd  of  boys, 
who  came  in,  and  behaved  without  manners.  Spoke 
with  more  fluency  and  satisfaction  to  myself  than 
I  have  yet  done ;  but  it  seems  like  speaking  to  the 
Avind  and  waves,  or  writing  one's  name  on  the  sand. 
Spirit  of  God,  breathe  on  these  dry  bones  ! 

November  22d.  Preached  in  the  afternoon  twice, 
on  the  death  of  Christ.  Commenced  with  three  or 
four  persons,  but  more  dropped  in  till  there  were 
twenty  or  thirty,  by  the  middle  of  the  discourse. 
Some  were  very  attentiA^e.  So  many  kept  coming 
in,  that  after  the  first  company  were  gone,  I  preached 
the  same  discourse  over  a  second  time,  and  had  some 
forty  or  fifty  at  the  close.  Generally  pretty  good 
attention,  but  I  was  excessively  fatigued.  An 
hour's  almost  constant  talking  in  a  strange  language, 
and  to  an  audience  where  there  are  always  some 
unruly  ones,  is  no  easy  work.  Some  come  in  and 
go  out;  some  make  remarks;  one  or  two  smoked 
pipes ;  and  one  or  two  were  rude  enough  to  make 
remarks  in  a  very  loud  voice  as  they  went  out,  ap- 
parently for  the  pm-pose  of  showing' how  little  they 
cared  for  what  was  going  on.  I  have  not  yet  learned 
to  talk  at  ease  amidst  all  the  interruptions  which  I 
foresee  I  must  expect  in  this  work  ;  but  give  me 
such  a  day  as  this — I  mean  in  regard  to  numbers 
and  attention — and  for  a  while  at  least  I  shall  rejoice. 
Yet  to  man}^  of  the  hearers,  all  they  hear  must  be 


348  MEMOIR    OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE. 

the  merest  scraps  ;  something,  to  alkide  to  Amos, 
like  the  "  U\o  legs,  or  a  piece  of  an  ear,"  which 
others,  more  eager  for  something,  have  sometimes 
got.  Well,  "  faith  cometh  by  hearing ;"  and  I  do 
rejoice,  that,  however  imperfectly,  I  can  yet  give 
some  of  this  people  the  opportunity  of  hearmg. 
Oh  for  the  living  Spirit  to  breathe  on  the  dry  bones, 
and  bless  the  word  ! 

November  29  th.  Weather  quite  cold  of  late  at 
night,  and  thermometer  twice  down  to  34°  before 
sunrise,  but  a  clear  day  to-day,  and  it  got  up  to  G6° ; 
very  pleasant.  ^ 

Preached  in  the  afternoon  twice,  on  the  resurrec- 
tion and  ascension  of  Christ,  with  pretty  good  at- 
tention both  times.  One  man,  who  came  too  late 
for  the  first  service,  said,  "  I  don't  care  about  books, 
but  I  want  to  hear  you  talk."  Yet  there  w^as  more 
eagerness  for  the  books  than  I  have  often  seen. 
How  delightful  to  be  able  to  speak  with  any  fluency ! 
There  were  some  old  men  there,  tottering  on  the 
brink  of  the  grave ;  will  the  seed  thus  sown  ever 
spring  up  ? 

When  I  was  in  Macao,  my  great  anxiety  was  to 
get  here ;  arrived  here,  and  w^as  satisfied  for  a  short 
time  ;  but  then  became  anxious  to  be  able  to  talk, 
and  thought  I  would  be  satisfied  if  I  could  only  talk ; 
can  talk  a  little,  and  for  a  while  was  almost  satisfied ; 
but  now  I  want  to  see  fruit.  Perhaps  if  permitted 
to  see  it,  I  may  be  anxious  to  see  it  ripen ;  if  it 
ripens,  to  see  it  safely  stored  away.  When  shall  I 
be  freed  from  anxiety  ?  When  but  in  heaven  ? 
Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly.  I  shall  be  satis- 
fied when  I  see  thee,  or  awake  in  thy  likeness. 

December  6th.  Preached  on  the  Divinity  of 
Christ,  with  a  good  deal  of  satisfaction  to  two 
different  audiences  ;  the  second  very  full  and  gen- 
erally very  attentive,  and  very  eager  for  tracts. 

December  18th.  Had  the  emptyings  of  a  theatre 
to  fill  my  house,  which  it  did  to  overflowing.  It 
gave  me  a  larger  audience  than  usual  j  but  those 


MEMOIR   OP  WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  349 

in  the  back  seats  were  so  incommoded  by  the  crowd, 
that  they  could  have  heard  but  little.  Preached  on 
the  Creation.  One  man  seemed  greatly  struck  by 
the  account  of  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath. 


CHAPTER  YIIL 

1847. 


Missionary  Labours  at  Ningpo — Voyage  to  Shanghai — Manchu  Lan- 
guage— Chinese  Translation  of  the  Bible — Importance  of  selecting 
proper  terms — Death  and  Character. 

Until  the  latter  end  of  May,  Mr.  Lowrie  con- 
tinued his  regular  Chinese  ser^dces  on  the  Sabbath; 
and  during  the  week  he  found  many  opportunities 
of  making  known  the  truths  of  the  Christian  sys- 
tem. A  portion  of  each  day  was  given,  with  in- 
creased interest,  to  the  preparation  of  his  Chinese 
dictionary,  his  plan  enlarging  as  he  advanced  with 
the  work. 

Having  been  appointed  one  of  the  delegates  for 
the  reidsion  of  the  translation  of  the  Bible,  he  reached 
Shanghai  early  in  June;  and  when  his  colleagues 
assembled,  he  took  part  with  them  in  this  important 
work.  Much  time  was  taken  up  in  deciding  on  the 
proper  Chinese  word  to  be  used  for  the  Elohim  of 
the  Old  Testament,  and  the  Theos  of  the  New.  This 
question  he  had  carefully  examined  before  the  meet- 
ing of  the  delegates,  and  his  further  researches  led 
him  very  clearly  to  prefer  the  Chinese  word  Shin. 
It  was  his  firm  conviction,  that  to  use  the  Chinese 
Shang-te,  or  the  word  Te,  for  the  true  God,  was  only 
to  confirm  the  Chinese  in  their  idolatry. 

Among  his  last  letters  is  one  to  his  father,  ex- 
pressing his  intention  of  studying  the  language  of 
the  Manchu  Tartars,  and  requesting  that  the  neces- 


350  IVIEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

sary  books  might  be  procured  and  forwarded.  He 
did  not  overrate  the  advantages  which  a  knowledge 
of  this  knguage  would  afford  to  the  missionary 
cause;  and  it  will  be  for  those  still  labouring  for  the 
evangelization  of  this  great  people,  to  carry  out  this 
and  other  important  measures  of  usefulness  w^hich 
he  left  unfinished. 

The  essay  on  the  trials  and  discouragements  of 
the  foreign  missionary,  preceded  by  a  note  from  his 
friend  Mr.  Culbertson,  closes  the  present  selection 
from  his  writings.  Although  some  of  the  sentiments 
are  expressed  in  his  previous  letters  and  journals,  it 
w^as  deemed  best  to  publish  this  paper  entire.  His 
trials  and  sorrows  were  soon  to  cease.  The  work 
assigned  to  him  by  the  Head  of  the  Church  was  all 
finished.  On  the  19th  of  August,  he  was  called,  as 
we  trust,  to  exchange  this  scene  of  conflict  and  of 
trial  for  the  joy  of  his  Lord.  The  particulars  of  this 
mysterious  and  distressing  dispensation  of  Divine 
Providence, — the  estimate  of  his  character  by  those 
who  knew  him  well, — and  the  expression  of  deep 
aftliction  caused  by  his  death,  are  given  by  other 
pens.  Whilst  his  relatives  and  friends  bow  in  hum- 
ble submission  to  the  will  of  God,  and  whilst  they 
know  most  assuredly  that  nothing  happens  by  chance 
in  the  government  of  Him  who  has  all  power  in  hea- 
ven and  in  earth,  the  stroke  is  so  severe,  the  wound 
so  deep,  and  so  many  endeared  ties  have  been  bro- 
ken asunder,  that  they  cannot  but  mourn  and  weep 
over  the  early  grave  of  this  beloved  missionary.  He 
who  wept  at  the  grave  of  Lazarus,  does  not  forbid 
the  hallowed  tears  of  his  bereaved  and  afflicted  ser- 
vants. 


Nlngpo,  January  18th,  1847. 

Rev.  John  C.  Lowrie — My  Dear  Brotiierr  : — I  do 
not  know  that  I  have  anything  of  consequence  to 
write   at  present.     Everything  moves  on  quietly. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  351 

....  I  find  myself  now  making  perceptible  progress 
in  reading  and  speaking,  and  begin  at  last  to  feel  as 
if  I  had  mastered  the  chief  difficulties  in  the  outset 
of  this  hard  language.  You  will,  I  trust,  join  with 
me  in  gratitude  for  this.  Mind,  I  do  not  consider 
myself  a  scholar,  or  anticipate  no  further  difficulties, 
for  I  can  see  enough  to  know  that  it  is  a  rough  and 
stony  path  yet,  and  up  hill  too.  I  do  not  despair, 
however,  if  life,  and  health,  and  grace  be  given,  to 
make  at  least  very  respectable  acquisitions  in  the 
language.  One  of  the  greatest  difficulties  I  meet 
now,  is  a  temptation  to  devote  myself  too  much  to 
the  merely  literary  part  of  the  work.  For  I  find  I 
have  made  such  progress  as,  notwithstanding  all  the 
difficulties,  to  find  real  pleasure  in  the  study;  and 
withal,  there  is  a  field  of  investigation  and  thought, 
of  philosophy  and  of  poetry  in  the  language,  which 
is  well  worthy  of  cultivation.  Do  not  smile  at  this. 
Nothwithstanding  the  witty  articles  of  the  Reper- 
tory, the  Chinese  are  no  fools,  and  they  have  said 
and  done  things  worthy  of  great  renown.  I  begin 
to  have  a  real  veneration  for  Confucius,  and  to  doubt 
whether  any  heathen  philosopher  ever  Saw  so  much 
truth  as  he  did ;  while  my  tastes  are  becoming  so 
Chinese,  that  I  find  eloquence  and  poetry,  and  what 
not,  in  multitudes  of  forms.  You  may  laugh  as 
much  as  you  please  at  my  tastes,  but  let  those  laugh 
that  win.  However,  seriously,  I  do  feel  that  there 
is  danger  of  attending  to  merely  literary  pursuits, 
to  the  neglect  of  the  far  more  important  duties  of 
one  whose  chief  business  it  should  be  to  know 
nothing  but  Christ,  and  him  crucified.  Pray  for  nie. 
Your  alfectionate  brother, 

W.  M.  LOWREB. 


Ningpo,  February  19  th,  1847. 
My  Dear  Mother — .  ...  The  weeks  slip  by  with 
a  rapidity  that  would  be  frightful,  were  it  not  for  the 


352  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

calm  and  pleasing  hope  that  they  are  wafting  me  to 
a  home  where  in  all  labour  there  is  no  sorrow.  I  can 
hardly  realize  that  six  weeks  of  the  present  year  are 
gone  already,  but  so  it  is.  Yesterday  too  was  my 
birthday;  finished  twenty-eight  years,  and  com- 
menced my  twenty-ninth ;  and  it  is  more  than  five 
years  since  I  saw  you  last.  You  will  ask,  what  am 
1  doing  that  makes  me  so  busy  ?  Why,  I  write  a 
sermon  in  English  about  once  a  month ;  a  sermon  in 
Chinese  each  week ;  an  average  of  two  or  three  letters 
each  week,  (full  letters,  notes  not  counted;)  correct 
two  or  three  proofs  in  Chinese  every  week,  each  proof 
a  good  hour's  work;  and  then  to  fill  up  and  overflow 
every  hour  besides,  I  have  this  copious  unfathomable 
language,  which  I  find  I  must  study  in  winter,  and 
take  easily  in  summer.  I  am,  however,  now  so  far 
advanced,  as  to  find  a  great  deal  of  real  satisfaction 
in  the  study;  and  being  thus  encouraged  by  success, 
do  not  again  apprehend  the  tedium  of  labour  which  I 
found  in  it  for  so  long  a  time.  I  can  now  read  an 
ordinary  book  without  assistance  from  a  teacher, 
though  of  course  I  can  read  much  faster  and  easier 
with  him  by  my  side,  and  hope  ere  long  to  be  able 
in  a  great  measure  to  dispense  with  a  teacher  in 
translating  from  Chinese  into  English.  I  have  not  3^et 
begun  to  ask,  when  I  can  do  without  one  in  trans- 
lating from  English  into  Chinese;  that  point  is  as 
yet  many  years  off.  I  do  not  know  how  much  you 
practise  Chinese  now,  but  a  pretty  little  thought  came 
into  my  head  a  few  days  ago;  it  may  be  in  some 
book  1  have  read,  but  I  have  no  recollection  of 
having  met  it  anywhere.  You  perhaps  know  that 
the  word  necn  means  to  think.  Isow  just  divide  that 
character  in  two,  and  you  have  kin  sin, '' notu  hearty' 
i.  e.,  what  is  now  in  the  heart,  which  is  not  a  bad 
definition  of  thoughts.  But  perhaps  this  smells  too 
much  of  the  lamp  for  you.  So,  for  more  domestic  con- 
cerns, 1  have  lost  my  beautiful  dog  Fanny.  She  fol- 
lowed me  out  into  the  street  one  day,  and  got  to 
frisking  about,  and  got  lost  in  the  croAvd.     I  should 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  353 

have  felt  quite  melancholy  had  it  happened  a  few 
months  sooner ;  but  the  fact  is,  though  very  beautiful, 
she  was  so  utterly  useless  that  I  did  not  regret  her 
going.  Instead  of  barking,  she  fawned  on  every 
stranger  that  came  in,  and  followed  everybody  that 
called  her  in  the  street.  So  it  seems  a  fair  exterior 
is  no  better  proof  of  good  quaUties  in  dogs  than  in 
men.  I've  got  a  little  pup  now,  who  yelped  inces- 
santly when  I  got  him,  until  at  last  the  cat  took  pity 
on  him,  and  took  him  under  her  care.  This  com- 
forted his  heart  very  much,  and  he  is  now  famous  for 
eating  rice  and  milk,  and  worrying  the  cat,  and  gives 
promise  of  being  worth  something  more  before  long. 
I  call  him  Jim. 

Our  winter  has  been  mild,  and  is  now  pretty  much 
over.  We  have  had  both  ice  and  snow,  but  no 
weather  so  cold  as  a  good  deal  that  we  had  last  year ; 
and  as  we  all  know  better  how  to  prepare  for  it,  we 
have  got  along  very  comfortably.  I  think  too  we 
shall  not  have  so  severe  a  summer.  .  .  . 

With  much  love  and  many  warm  thoughts, 
Ever  alfectionately  yours, 

W.  M.  LowiiiE. 


ON  THE  MINUTES  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  OF  1846, 

Nmgpo,  March  20th,  1847. 

The  Minutes  of  our  venerable  General  Assembly, 
after  being  long  delayed  on  the  way,  have  at  last 
reached  this  place,  and  are  now  lying  before  me. 
The  Greneral  Assembly !  How  many  precious  and 
endearing  associations  are  connected  with  that  name ! 
From  this  heathen  land  it  recalls  my  thoughts  back 
to  the  land  of  my  birth  and  early  youth;  to  the 
land  of  my^  first  Christian  hopes  and  preparation 
for  the  ministry.  It  is  the  land  of  my  parents 
of  my  brothers   and  my   sisters.     It   is  the  dand 

GO* 


354  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

where  many  warm  friends  dwell.  It  is  the  land 
where  the  departed  sleep ;  a  land  of  privileges  and 
light !  Its^  external  and  physical  advantages  are 
great ;  for  it  might  be  said  as  was  said  of  Canaan  in 
old  times,  "it  is  a  land  flowing  with  honey  and 
milk,"  and  "the  eye  of  God  is  upon  it  from  the 
beginning  of  the  year  to  the  end  of  the  year."  It 
is  a  land  of  freedom,  and  of  peace.  But  its  Chris- 
tian privileges  are  greater  still.  It  is  a  land  of 
Bibles,  and  Sabbaths,  and  preaching  and  revivals. 
It  has  its  Sabbath-schools  and  religious  institutions. 
It  has  its  missionary  and  its  Bible  societies,  to  ex- 
tend to  other  lands  the  blessings  enjoyed  in  its  own 
borders.  _  The  influences  of  the  Spmt,  like  currents 
of  vital  air,  pervade  the  land.  From  its  hills  and  its 
vales  go  up  the  voices  of  prayer  and  praise,  and  the 
saints  of  the  Lord  are  resting  in  its  graves.  A 
land  highly  favoured — its  God  is  Jehovah  !  Com- 
pare that  land  with  this,  and  how  painful  is  the 
contrast ! 

It  is  pleasant  to  think  that  the  Church,  the  min- 
utes of  whose  highest  judicatory  are  now  before  me, 
wy  own  loved  Churchy  holds  no  mean  place  among 
those  which,  under  God,  have  made  that  once  wil- 
derness land,  to  bud  and  blossom  as  the  rose.  "  The 
General  Assemhhj  of  the  Church!"  I  love  that  name. 
How  general  and  extensive,  stretching  far  and  wide, 
throughout  the  land,  yet  comprehendino;  and  assem- 
hUm/  all  together  in  one  brotherhood,  llow^  goodly 
is  the  fellowship  of  the  saints !  The  representatives 
of  the  Church  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of 
a  vast  land  are  assembled  here,  and  that  not  for  any 
selfish  purposes,  but  for  the  highest  and  the  noblest 
known  on  earth;  they  are  met  to  consult  for  the 
glory  of  Christ  and  his  cause.  When  shall  we  have 
such  a  general  assembly  in  this  heathen  land? 
"When  shall  all  the  earth  see  eye  to  eye,  and  have 
one  General  Assembly  ?  AVhen  shall  we  all  go  up 
to  the  General  Assembl}^,  and  Church  of  the  first>- 
born  on  high  ? 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  355 

It  has  been  a  deeply  interesting  employment  to 
look  over  the  list  of  ministers  in  connection  with  the 
General  Assembly.  I  have  gone  over  the  whole  Hst, 
pencil  in  hand,  and  placed  a  mark  against  each  name 
of  those  I  knew.  I  have  looked  to  see  how  many 
of  God's  people  are  under  the  care  of  each;  how 
many  additions  to  the  communion  of  their  churches ; 
how  many  baptisms.  I  have  looked  farther,  to  see 
how  active,  how  liberal,  how  benevolent,  the  flock 
of  each  has  been,  and  how  much  they  have  contri- 
buted to  spread  the  cause  of  Christ,  at  home  and 
abroad.  But  let  me  recall  that  word  "  benevolence." 
With  most  persons  it  signifies  a  free  gift,  or  a  disposi- 
tion to  give,  where  there  is  no  claim  on  the  giver. 
But  surely  it  is  no  benevolence  to  give  a.ught  to  Him 
of  whom  we  receive  otir  all,  and  to  whom,  if  we  give 
aught,  we  but  give  him  "of  his  own."  "All  things 
come  of  thee,  and  of  thine  own  have  we  given  thee." 
To  speak  more  properly,  I  have  looked  to  see  hoAV 
much  each  church  of  those  1  knew,  has  reahzed  of 
its  responsibihties  and  its  stewardship,  and  what 
answer  it  has  given  to  the  question,  "How  much 
owest  thou  unto  my  lord?"  In  some  cases  I  have 
almost  feared  that  an  unfaithful  steward  has  been 
there,  and  in  place  of  requiring  the  full  amount,  has 
said,  "  Take  thy  bill,  and  sit  down  quickly,  and  write 
fifty,  or  fourscore."  But  charity  requires  me  to  sup- 
pose that  the  minutes  of  the  General  Assembly  give 
only  an  imperfect  account  of  w^hat  each  church^has 
done.  The  thought,  however,  occurs  to  me,  man 
may  see  and  record  what  we  do,  or  he  may  not,  but 
there  is  One  above  who  sees  and  records  it  all,  and 
he  has  said,  "  It  is  required  in  stewards  that  a  man 
be  found  faithful."  8ee  the  whole  context,  1  Cor. 
iv.  1-5. 

I  love  to  look  over  the  roll  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly. There  are  many  well-known  names  there.  The 
venerable  father  in  Christ,  the  strong  man,  the  gen- 
tle, loving  teacher,  friends  of  my  boyhood  were 
there :  classmates  and  friends  of  my  College  days 


356  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

were  there :  beloved  associates  in  the  Theological 
Seminary  were  there.  If  I  have  numbered  aright, 
there  are  ten  with  whom  I  met  week  after  week  and 
month  after  month,  to  hear  the  instructions  of  our 
venerated  professors.  With  jon  I  have  sat  in  the 
same  class-room,  gone  to  the  house  of  God  in  com- 
pany, bowed  topether  in  the  same  prayer-meeting, 
and  sat  down  side  by  side  at  the  same  table  of  the 
Lord.  Tears  fill  my  eyes,  as  with  an  overflowing 
heart,  the  memory  of  those  favoured  hours  comes 
back ;  and  if  it  might  be  so,  I  could  wish  for  their 
return.  Ye  are  dwelling  in  the  house  of  God, 
"whilst  I  sojourn  in  Mesech  !  Ye  are  going  up  with 
the  great  congregation,  whilst  I  sit  in  the  tents  of 
Kedar!  Yet  will  I  remember  thee,  oh  God,  from 
the  land  of  Jordan^  and  the  flermonites,  and  from 
the  hill  Mizar. 

Years  have  passed  away  since  then.  Many  bil- 
lows roll  between  us  now,  and  many  billows  have 
rolled  over  us  since  then,  yet  many  recollections  of 
those  days  come  up  before  me  in  long  array.  What 
constant  friendship  did  some  of  us  vow,  when  our 
hearts  were  warmed  as  we  communed  together  by 
the  way !  And  there  was  our  resolve  to  remember 
each  other  in  our  prayers  on  Saturday  evening.  Do 
ye  remember  it  yet  ?  God's  blessing  rest  on  3^ou  all, 
friends  of  my  heart,  associates  of  my  earlier  days, 
fellow-labourers  in  the  same  church,  and  expectants 
of  the  same  crown !  And  ye  too,  venerated  elders 
of  the  churches  !  Some  of  you  I  have  known  in 
your  own  homes.  Some  of  my  earliest  and  warmest 
iriends  were  among  you.  Nor  can  I  ever  forget  the 
deep  feeling  with  which  one  of  your  number,  now 
gone  to  his  rest,  once  said  to  me,  ^'Ever  since  I 
knew  aught  of  Christ,  it  ^as  been  my  daily  prayer 
that  I  might  know  more  of  him;"  or  how  another  of 
3^ our  number  said  on  his  death-bed,  with  an  empha- 
sis which  only  the  powers  of  the  world  to  come 
could  give,  '^  Oh  Avhat  a  Saviour  is  Christ !     He  is  a 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  357 

rock !"  May  the  spirit  of  those  devoted  men  rest  on 
you  all! 

I  have  read  with  much  interest  the  proceedings  of 
an  Assembly,  to  which  I  am  bound  by  so  many  ties. 
How  great  a  privilege  it  would  have  been  to  be 
even  a  doorkeeper  there !  It  would  be  tedious, 
and  unreasonable,  to  tell  you  half  my  thoughts,  on 
reading  over  the  proceedings.  May  I  be  pardoned 
for  recording  some  of  my  thoughts,  on  reading  a  part 
of  them  ? 

It  is  natural  for  each  one  to  feel  most  interest  in 
what  most  nearly  concerns  himself  and  his  own  im- 
mediate pursuits.  The  foreign  missionary  looks 
with  peculiar  interest  to  the  proceedings  of  the  As- 
sembly in  relation  to  Foreign  Missions.  Shall  I,  or 
may  I,  say  what  I  thought?  Perhaps  it  may  be 
wrong,  or  presumptuous,  or  censorious ;  if  so,  for- 
give me ;  l3ut  there  was  an  emotion  not  unmixed 
with  disappointment,  on  the  perusal  of  the  resolutions 
about  foreign  missions.  You  know  best  whether  so 
many  as  nine  resolutions  were  necessary,  but  it  did 
strike  me  that  they  were  dull, — too  many  words, 
and  the  sentences  too  long.  A  person  almost  loses 
his  breath  before  he  reads  through  some  of  them. 
Would  it  not  have  been  better,  if,  with  less  of  the 
character  of  a  grave  homily,  there  had  been  a  more 
pointed  application?  If,  instead  of  merely  "griev- 
ing" and  "inviting"  and  "recommending,"  they 
had  embodied  in  few  words  a  glowing  resolution  to 
do,  and  to  act?  But  I  will  not  criticise.  Rather  let 
me  carefully  read  them  over  again,  and  may  God's 
blessing  rest  on  their  authors,  and  on  him  who  reads. 

It  is  well.  The  work  of  missions  is  important; 
the  Church  should  unite  under  their  own  13oard : 
missionary  intelligence  should  be  diffused ;  earnest 
prayer  should  be  offered;  and  the  Jews  should 
have  an  able  and  efficient  mission.  It  is  well  that 
the  Church,  through  her  highest  judicator}^,  should 
give  utterance  to  these  truths.     I  suppose  they  were 


358  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

adopted  unanimously,  as  no  notice  is  given  of  any 
disapprobation  or  dissent. 

Bat  what  shall  be,  or  rather  what  has  been,  the 
result  of  these  resolutions  ?  They  are  your  public 
testimony,  and  not  merely  recorded  in  your  official 
records,  but  recorded  by  one  who  says,  "  When  thou 
vowest  a  vow  unto  God,  defer  not  to  pay  it;"  and 
wdio  will  look  to  see  how  official  resolutions,  which 
bear  the  nature  of  a  vow,  are  performed.  You  have 
gone  down  from  that  high  position  in  the  General 
Assembly,  to  your  separate  flocks.  If  you  carry 
not  out  3^our  own  resolutions,  surely  no  others  will. 
Have  you  then  in  your  separate  fields  carried  out 
the  principles,  and  performed  the  duties  you  have 
publicly  professed  ?  Is  interest  in  the  missionary 
cause  deepening  among  your  own  people  ?  Is  mis- 
sionary intelligence  more  widely  diffused?  Do  your 
flock  take  more  copies  of  the  Chronicle  and  Foreign 
Missionary  ?  Is  more  prayer  offered  ?  Are  more 
efforts  made  ?  Or  if  not,  are  we  to  understand  that 
you  have  already  attained  to  the  measure  of  the 
standard  fixed  in  3^our  resolutions,  and  need  not  to 
go  beyond  it? 

And  how  do  3^our  resolutions  compare  with  those 
of  the  past  or  previous  years  ?  What  advance  has 
been  made  beyond  the  stand  taken  ten,  or  five  years 
ago  ?  The  resolutions  of  the  General  Assembly  of 
1 84 1  were  very  good.  The  Assembly  of  184lJ  re- 
commended that  one  hundred  thousand  dollars 
should  be  raised  in  that  3^ear;  but  that  sum  has 
never  been  raised  in  any  year  yet.  The  resolutions 
of  1844  I  have  not  yet  seen,  but  a  kind  and  cordial 
notice  of  missionary  operations,  found  a  place  in  the 
narrative  of  I'eligion  of  that  year. 

I  fear  it  must  be  said,  that  the  resolutions  of  the 
General  Assembly  mark  no  perceptible  advance  in 
the  state  of  missionary  feeling  in  the  Church.  There 
has  been  a  shght  increase  of  pecuniary  contribu- 
tions, but  the  Church  has  not  yet  come  up  to  the 
standard  fixed  by  the  Assembly  of  1842,  as  then 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  359 

practicable.  Brethren,  where  is  the  fault?  Your 
resolutions,  to  be  of  any  worth,  must  be  acted  out; 
or  in  the  end  the  people  will  become  hardened  by 
them,  and  instead  of  good,  they  will  do  harm,  and 
"  the  rust  of  them"  will  be  a  witness  against  your- 
selves. Might  I,  with  all  humility,  suggest  that  in- 
stead of  a  long  series  of  resolutions,  a  few  sen- 
tences, brief  and  pointed,  would  be  much  better,  if 
each  one  who  voted  for  them  were  to  resolve  that, 
let  others  do  as  they  may,  he  at  least  would  carry 
them  out  in  his  own  church.  Were  this  course 
adopted,  in  five  successive  General  AsseniMies,  nay, 
in  only  two,  what  prodigious  results  would  be  se- 
cured ! 

But  there  is  one  sentence  in  the  last  resolution, 
which  calls  forth  my  warmest  gratitude.  The  Gene- 
ral Assembly  of  our  Church  solemnly  assures  us 
that  your  "daily  prayer  is  that  the  Saviour  may  be 
present  with  us,  and  that  the  blessing  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  may  rest  on  our  labours."  Oh  ye  fathers  and 
brethren!  this  one  sentence  is  to  us  worth  more 
than  thousands  of  silver  and  gold.  Let  others  do 
as  they  may,  we  are  here  assured  that  in  the  daily 
prayers  of  one  hundred  and  thirteen  ministers,  and 
seventy-six  elders,  we  are  remembered.  Who  would 
not  rejoice  to  be  held  in  "daily"  remembrance  by  so 
many  ministers  and  elders?  Who  would  not  feel 
strengthened  in  his  work,  by  the  assurance  from  the 
highest  judicatory  in  the  Church,  that  at  least  all 
those  who  composed  that  body,  every  day  invoke 
"the  presence  of  the  Saviour,  and  the  blessing  of  the 
Spirit"  on  his  labours  ?  In  the  name  of  every  mis- 
sionary of  our  Church,  I  thank  you  for  that  assurance ; 
for  surely  God  will  hear  such  prayers.  May  they 
be  graciously  answered  by  Ilim,  in  blessings  on  our 
heads,  and  may  they  return  with  tenfold  blessings 
on  your  own !  You  are  daily  praying,  and  doubt- 
less daily  looking  for  an  answer  to  those  prayers. 
God  is  the  hearer  and  the  answerer  of  prayer,  and 
our  hearts  are  revived  by  the  thought.     How  glori- 


360  MEMOIR   OF    WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

ous,  how  blessed  to  be  a  member  of  a  Chiircli,  so 
large  as  ours,  where  such  a  bond  of  union  exists, 
and  where  those  who  occupy  the  most  conspicuous 
stations,  assure  those  farthest  off,  and  least  knoAvn, 
of  an  interest  in  their  daily  prayers.  I  cannot  al- 
low mj^self  to  harbour  for  one  moment  the  thought, 
that  this  assurance  is  a  mere  unmeaning  form  of 
words,  passed  in  the  routine  of  business,  and  forgot- 
ten amidst  succeeding  occupations  or  more  interest- 
ing pursuits.     It  cannot  so  be. 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


Ningpo,  April  10th,  1847. 

My  Dear  Father — Your  letter  of  July  17-20, 
did  not  come  till  about  ten  days  or  more  after  the 
things  it  mentioned  had  been  received.  I  be- 
lieve everything  has  come  safe.  Some  of  the  other 
brethren  were  not  so  much  favoured,  as  some  three 
or  four  boxes  fell  into  the  hands  of  pirates  between 
Canton  and  Macao.  The  pirates  are  getting  exceed- 
ingly bold  all  along  the  coast.  I  was  told  to-day  that 
ten  out  of  the  eighteen  timber  firms  in  Ningpo  had 
shut  up  their  shops  this  year,  as  the  pirates  on  the 
coast  stopped  their  ships  when  coming  from  Fuh- 
keen  province,  and  required  such  heavy  ransom, 
that  it  became  a  losing  business.  I  hardly  know 
how  I  shall  get  to  Shanghai  this  summer,  as  it 
is  hardly  safe  to  venture  out  to  sea,  in  our  small 
passage  boats,  when  such  customers  are  abroad.  At 
present  I  propose  applying  for  leave  to  go  by  way 
of  Ilangchou,  a  place  I  want  to  see  on  many  ac- 
counts. 

The  convention  for  the  revision  of  the  Translation 
of  the  New  Testament,  is  to  meet  on  the  1st  of 
June.  I  presume  you  will  see  the  accounts  of  it  as 
soon  as  any  other  person.  The  most  interesting 
question  likely  to  be  discussed,  is  the  one  in  refer- 


MEMOIE   OF   WALTER    M.    LOWRIE.  861 

ence  to  a  proper  term  for  "  God."  Increasing  dis- 
satisfaction is  felt  b}^  many  with  the  term  Shang-te, 
which  Mr.  Medhurst  patronizes,  and  the  discussion 
of  that  subject  is  likely  to  be  an  earnest  one.  I 
should  like  much  if  you  could  find  time  to  make 
yourself  familiar  with  it.  You  will  find  in  the 
Chinese  Repository  of  1846  and  1847,  several  arti- 
cles on  both  sides.  The  one  in  November  and 
December,  1846,  and  January,  1847,  shows  my 
views.  I  think,  if  the  principles  laid  down  in  the 
article  in  the  November  number  are  granted,  that 
the  question  is  settled  in  favour  of  "Shin,"  and  I 
should  be  glad  to  get  the  opinion  of  some  Biblical 
scholars  on  the  subject.  You  will  see  Mr.  Med- 
hurst's  views  in  the  January  number  of  this  year. 
I  think  every  one  of  his  positions  is  capable  of  a 
clear  and  distinct  answer.  I  hope  some  one  will 
reply  to  it.  I  shall  probably  write  an  answ^er  my- 
self, but  do  not  expect  to  publish  it,  having  already 
said  as  much  as  becomes  so  young  a  student  of  the 
language.  As  an  evidence  of  the  evil  done  by  using 
the  term  Shang-te  for  the  name  of  God,  is  the  fol- 
lowing : — Not  long  ago  a  very  respectable  man  came 
to  my  house  one  Sabbath.  I  got  into  conversation 
wdth  him,  and  asked  him  if  he  knew  anything  of 
Jesus?  He  replied,  he  had  heard  he  was  the  son 
of  "Yuh  hwang  ta  te,"  the  "Jewelled  Great  Em- 
peror." This  is  the  chief  god  in  the  Chinese  my- 
thology. His  birth-day  is  on  the  first  month,  third 
day;  his  image  is  in  one  of  our  largest  temples; 
and  he  is  known  indifferently  by  the  name  above 
given,  or  by  that  of  Shang-te.  I  never  use  the  term 
now,  having  uniformly  found  that  the  people  sup- 
posed I  meant  their  own  Shang-te. 

Sabbath  evening,  April  11.  This  has  been  a 
very  pleasant  day:  clear  warm,  and  comfortable. 
Sermon  at  our  church  by  Mr.  Culbertson,  on  "Joy 
in  heaven  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth."  After 
sermon,  the  eldest  boy  in  the  school,  of  whom  you 
have  heard  several  times,  and  whose  full  name  is 


31 


362  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

Yuen  Ko  Keim^  made  profession  of  his  faith,  and 
was  received  into  the  church,  in  j^resence  of  all  his 
school-mates,  and  several  other  Chinese,  by  baptism. 
After  a  short  interval,  the  Lord's  Supper  was  ad- 
ministered. All  the  services  of  Baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper  were  in  the  Chinese  language,  and 
were  conducted  by  the  pastor,  Mr.  Culbertson. 
This  is,  I  believe,  the  first  case  in  which  any  one 
whose  first  impressions  are  due,  under  God,  to  mem- 
bers of  our  Mission,  has  been  admitted  to  the  church. 
Others  have,  it  is  true,  received  great  benefit  from 
our  mission;  but,  humanly  speaking,  they  would 
have  been  savingly  converted  if  we  had  not  been  in 
the  field.  I  suppose  in  this  case,  as  in  the  case  of 
Apoo,  baptized  tAvo  years  ago,  that  the  principal  in- 
fluence has  been  exerted  by  Mrs.  Way,  and  it  is 
worthy  of  notice  how  God  has  been  pleased  to  use 
the  youngest,  feeblest,  (as  far  as  bodily  health  is 
concerned,)  and  the  most  unassuming  member  of  our 
mission,  to  efiect  the  purposes  of  his  mercy.  To 
his  name  be  the  glory.  As  an  offset  to  the  above 
pleasing  account,  take  the  following : — All  the  time 
we  were  engaged  in  our  serAdces,  we  were  disturbed 
by  some  Chinese  carpenters  close  by,  building  a 
pleasure-boat  for  a  European  resident.  I  went  out 
and  requested  them  to  cease,  which  they  promised 
to  do,  but  for  some  reason  did  not.  Coming  home 
from  church,  I  found  in  one  place  a  number  of  Budd- 
hist priests  reading  and  chanting  prayers  over  a  per- 
son lately  deceased;  and  a  few  steps  further  on,  a 
table  full  of  victuals  spread  before  a  new  tomb,  and 
a  widow  woman  wailing  bitterly.  They  formed  sad 
contrasts  to  the  exercises  in  which  we  had  been  en- 
gaged. 

After  a  fight  dinner,  I  preached  on  the  Eighth 
Commandment,  but  the  audience  was  neither  large 
nor  attentive.  One  man,  however,  evidently  heard 
everything,  and  indeed  so  did  another,  who  was  sit- 
ting by  the  door  outside  when  I  began,  but  became 
so  much  interested,  that  he  came  close  up,  and  sat 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  363 

down  as  near  me  as  lie  could.     But  most  paid  little 

attention,  and  went  away  as  they  came 

Monday.  Quite  warm  to-day.  I  hope  this  week 
to  get  through  my  collection  of  significations  of  the 
words  used  in  the  Four  Books.  There  are  about 
twenty-three  hundred  different  characters.  Most 
of  them  occur  in  only  one  or  two  senses ;  but  several 
of  them  occur  in  such  a  variety  of  meanings,  that 
it  will  take  no  little  skill  to  get  them  properly  ex- 
hibited. After  getting  through  the  Four  Books,  I 
think  of  laying  the  subject  by  for  three  or  four 
months,  as  I  am  pretty  tired  of  it.  In  the  fall,  if 
life  and  health  be  spared,  I  wish  to  resume  it,  and 
treat  the  Five  Classics  in  the  same  manner,  which 
will  be  a  large  job,  and  I  suppose  will  occupy  two 

years  at  least 

As  ever,  your  affectionate  son, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


JOURNAL   AT    NINGPO. 

January  3d,  1847.  Preached  on  the  faith  of 
Abraham,  to  a  strange  kind  of  an  audience;  most 
of  them  very  respectable,  but  disposed  to  talk  and 
make  remarks ;  some  were  very  attentive ;  but  to 
some  the  story  seemed  amusing  and  almost  ridicu- 
lous, and  the  idea  of  so  old  a  man  having  a  son  only 
afforded  matter  for  a  laugh.  How  hard  it  is  to 
preach  to  such  a  people — so  indifferent,  so  insensible ! 
I  came  from  my  address  to  my  knees;  for  I  am 
made  to  feel  that  the  treasure  is  committed  to 
earthen  vessels. 

Have  some  encouragement  with  my  servants, 
particularly  Azhih,  whom  I  am  training  carefully  in 
religious^  instruction.  They  take  a  good  deal  of 
interest  in  it,  and  I  cannot  but  hope  are  beginning 


364  MEMOIR   OF  WALTER  M.   LOWRIE. 

to  feel  a  little.  Oh,  for  God's  Spirit  to  be  given  to 
them ! 

January  10th.  Preached  on  the  character  of 
God ;  audience  much  as  usual.  It  is  no  small  trial 
of  the  spirit  to  one  accustomed  to  address  attentive 
audiences,  to  have  such  as  I  commonly  find ;  people 
coming  in  and  going  out,  some  making  remarks, 
some  laughing,  some  ruder,  and  only  few  attending, 
and  yet  some  of  even  these  few  taking  up  the 
strangest  notions  from  the  plainest  truth.  To 
human  eyes  all  such  preaching  must  seem  very 
foolishness.  Well,  be  it  so.  ^^The  foolishness  of 
God  is  wiser  than  men,"  and  by  '^the  foolishness  of 
preaching  he  will  save  them  that  believe." 

The  external  evidences  of  Christianity  are  of 
little  use  here.  The  people  have  as  many  and  as 
famous  miracles  as  we  to  boast  of;  and  their  minds 
are  not  so  trained  as  to  perceive  and  appreciate  the 
evidence,  which  proves  the  truth  of  ours  and  the 
falsity  of  theirs.  Hence  they  make  no  scruple  of 
believing  whatever  we  tell  of  deeds  of  wonder  by 
Christ  and  his  apostles.  They  can  produce  parallels 
in  their  OAvn  history.  I  spoke  of  the  miraculous 
conception  of  Christ.  "Oh,  yes,"  said  one,  "that 
is  true,  it  is  just  like  a  similar  event  in  our  history ; 
let  me  see,  where  was  it?"  And  after  some  thought, 
and  assisted  by  one  or  two  others  present,  he  pro- 
duced the  circumstance.  How  should  he  believe 
my  story,  or  feel  more  interest  in  it  than  I  in  his  ? 
On,  Spirit  of  Life,  come  down ! 

Jan.  24th.  A  wet,  rainy  day,  and  apprehended 
having  no  congregation  again;  however,  on  going 
down,  found  a  very  respectably  dressed  middle-aged 
man  named  Chnh,  who  lives  somewhere  in  the  city; 
he  was  very  polite  and  respectful,  told  me  he  had 
long  "  desired  to  see  me,  looked  up  to  me  for  instruc- 
tion," &c.,  according  to  the  usual  routine  of  Chinese 
ceremonial  speech. 

We  had  some  talk,  and  as  there  were  three  or  four 
persons  present;  I  delivered  my  discourse  to  a  very 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  365 

attentive,  though  small  audience.  The  man  took  a 
copy  of  Luke  with  comments,  and  promising  to  come 
again  departed.  I  was  very  glad  of  the  opportunity 
of  talking  which  was  afforded,  for  I  sometimes  feel 
greatly  cast  down,  especially  when  I  find  httle  op- 
portunity of  speaking  for  Christ. 

Knowledge  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  Christi- 
anity is  increasing  and  spreading  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  as  I  frequently  meet  persons  who  have  heard 
at  least  the  name  of  Jesus. 

Feb.  21st.  For  the  last  three  or  four  Sabbaths, 
nothing  special  has  occurred ;  audiences  var3dng  from 
ten  to  fifty ;  commonly  sit  and  talk  more  after  giv- 
ing my  sermon  than  I  used  to  do,  which  gives  an 
opportunity  of  more  pointed  and  personal  application, 
but  also  opens  the  door  for  any  and  every  kind  of 
question,  and  is  very  sure,  in  half  an  hour,  to  get  off 
to  questions  about  food  and  clothing,  &c.  The  natu- 
ral man  ''  understandeth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit." 
One  man  to-day  seemed  a  very  merry  sort  of  a 
fellow,  but  withal,  as  respectful  as  a  man  could  be 
whose  only  object  was  to  make  sport;  asked  a 
number  of  questions,  and  started  a  hearty  laugh 
after  each  of  them,  in  which  he  was  joined  by  seve- 
ral others,  who  seemed  to  urge  him  on.  At  last,  I 
asked  him  why  he  asked  such  questions;  and 
whether  his  only  object  was  not,  to  make  sport  of 
ivhat  I  considered  a  very  serious  matter.  He  was 
quite  abashed :  several  persons  around  him  told  him 
to  be  quiet,  and  he  got  up  and  went  out.  Had  quite 
a  full  house  as  I  talked  the  second  time ;  but,  alas ! 
it  is  preaching  to  dry  bones.  0,  Spirit!  Breath  of 
the  Almighty !  breathe  on  these  dry  bones ! 

Feb.  26th.  Took  a  long  walk  into  the  country,  to 
some  places  where  I  have  not  before  been ;  Avas  ex- 
ceedingly stared  at  in  one  place,  wdiere  the  whole 
village  turned  out  to  see  me,  and  the  women  were 
the  most  forward  and  curious  of  all.  Quite  abashed 
a  little  girl  by  asking  her  what  her  name  was,  as  it 
seems  she  had  none.     It  is  not  common  to  give 

31* 


366  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

names  to  girls.     But  it  is  melancholy  to  see  the  dis- 
sipation of  morals  here Oh  when  shall  purity 

prevail,  where  there  is  so  much  vice  ? 

Went  afterwards  and  had  a  pleasant  little  talk 
with  some  men  in  a  little  resting-house,  and  then 
came  home,  well-tired.  Some  little  yellow  flowers 
are  in  blossom  now.  I  saw  dandelions  in  full  bloom 
a  month  or  more  ago,  though  there  had  been  a  hard 
frost  before,  and  plenty  of  it  since  then ;  but  the  cold 
weather  must  be  nearly  over  now. 

March  14th.  Preached  in  the  morning  in  English, 
on  Gal.  iv.  7 ;  in  the  afternoon  in  Chinese,  to  some 
thirty  or  forty  persons,  on  the  Fourth  Commandment ; 
w^as  favoured  with  as  much  fluency  as  I  have  ever 
had,  and  fully  as  good  if  not  better  attention.  In- 
deed, the  congregation  to-day  would  not  have  done 
discredit  to  any  similar  congregation  in  a  Christian 
land.  One  man  came  in  talking,  and  I  supposed 
meant  to  keep  on  talking,  but  he  behaved  very  quietly, 
only  putting  in  a  word  now  and  then.  After  I  had 
said  that  no  work  was  to  be  done  on  the  Sabbath,  he 
asked,  "  Then  what  shall  we  do — go  to  sleep  T  This 
brought  on  the  next  part  of  my  subject — Duties  to 
be  done  on  the  Sabbath.  He  stayed  after  service. 
I  talked  some ;  but  there  were  many  who  wanted  to 
talk  about  the  news  and  trifling  matters,  and  I  found 
so  httle  opportunity  of  saying  anything  profitable, 
that  I  soon  left  them.  The  man  above  referred  to, 
seemed  a  man  of  some  learning.  He  insisted  on  it, 
that  since  I  was  so  generous,  as  to  come  out  here, 
and  preach  to  the  people,  and  advise  them  to  do 
good,  I  w^ould  surel}^  become  a  god  at  last!  But 
liow  hard  it  is  to  get  a  Christian  idea  into  their 
heads,  to  say  nothing  of  impressing  it  on  their 
hearts.  After  repeating  over  and  over  again,  the 
statements  about  God  as  eternal,  true,  and  holy,  they 
are  sure  to  confound  all  you  say  with  their  ow^n  gods-. 
This  is  not  because  they  do  not  understand  what  I 
say,  for  I  find  that  I  am  pretty  well  understood; 
but  because^  first^  they  cannot  conceive  how  it  is  that 


MEMOIR   OF    WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  367 

their  own  gods  are  false  gods ;  and,  second,  they  have 
no  idea  of  the  importance  of  the  subject,  to  induce 
them  to  give  a  serious  thought  to  what  they  hear, 
and  hence,  when  they  hear  of  the  "true  God,"  they 
take  it  as  a  matter  of  course  that  their  own  gods  are 
intended. 

March  21st.  Opened  my  doors  at  three,  p.  m., 
and  went  down  as  usual,  but  there  were  few  pas- 
sers-by. I  sat  alone  for  nearly  half  an  hour,  having 
only  one  little  boy  carrying  a  baby  in  his  arms,  to 
come  near  me.  After  a  while,  two  or  three  well- 
dressed  men  came  in  and  one  sat  down,  but  the 
other  two  went  away.  1  asked  him  his  name  and 
residence,  but  he  did  not  seem  disposed  for  a  con- 
versation. I  then  opened  a  copy  of  Luke  and  began 
to  read  it.  He  asked  what  it  was,  and  we  had  some- 
thing to  talk  about  it.  Others  came  in;  he  praised 
my  fluency  of  utterance  and  correctness  of  speech : 
and  in  answer  to  some  questions,  I  had  a  good  oppor- 
tunity of  giving  some  outlines  of  creation  and  re- 
demption. But  the  subject  had  no  charms  for  the 
natural  heart;  and  as  soon  as  I  was  done,  one 
of  the  men  asked,  ''  Is  your  sovereign  a  man  or  a 
woman?"  Quite  a  crowd  had  now  collected,  and 
I  gave  them  my  sermon  as  well  as  I  could,  which 
was  not  very  well.  Some  heard  it  all;  some  got 
enough  before  it  was  half  done.  One  quite  respec- 
table looking  lady  came  in  and  sat  down,  and  she 
at  least  heard  everything  that  was  said.  Oh  for  a 
blessing  on  her ! 

It  is  hard  preaching,  for  the  audience  changes  so 
much,  that  I  must  go  over  the  same  simple  truths 
every  day,  treating  all  the  time  of  first  principles; 
and  this  displeases  the  few  who  come  more  than 
once,  for  having  already  heard  all  this,  they  want 
something  else. 

I  am  teaching  the  Shorter  Catechism  to  my  ser- 
Vc^nts,  but  find  it  hard  work ;  first,  the  Chinese  lan- 
guage has  no  suitable  terms  for  many  things,  and 
second,  my  command  of  the  language  is  not  yet 


368  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

sufficient  for  the  circumlocution  in  such  a  case. 
There  are  more  terms  in  the  written  language  than 
in  the  spoken,  but  they  are  of  no  more  use  to  the 
common  people  than  the  Latin  and  Greek  terms  in 
theological  and  philosophical  books  are  to  the  un- 
learned at  home.  I  know  of  no  term  in  the  language 
to  express  precisely  "chief  end."  For  "decree," 
there  is  a  good  word,  ming,  in  the  written  language, 
but  not  in  the  spoken.  For  "  covenant,"  t/o  is  a  good 
word,  but  it  is  understood  only  by  scholars,  nor  is 
there  any  good  word  for  it  in  the  colloquial.  "  Provi- 
dence," "fall,"  "redemption,"  "original  sin,"  "effect- 
ual calling,"  "justification,"  "adoption,"  "sanctifica- 
tion,"  "  privilege,"  "  holy,"  are  all  very  hard  words  to 
be  put  into  intelligible  Chinese.  Most  of  them  may 
be  expressed  after  a  sort,  in  the  written  language, 
which  is  very  copious,  but  when  it  comes  to  the  spoken 
language  one  is  at  a  loss,  and  a  great  deal  of  circum- 
locution is  unavoidable.  One  of  the  great  difficulties 
in  our  work  lies  in  this  very  want  of  proper  terms, 
and  I  see  not  how  it  is  to  be  remedied  excepting  in 
long  and  patient  use  of  the  most  suitable  terms  we  can 
find ;  thus,  at  length, "  converting"  them  from  their  hea- 
thenish uses  and  associations  to  Christian  purposes. 

How  true  are  those  words,  "  Sin  has  reigned  unto 
death !"  Its  power  is  shown  even  in  forms  of  speech. 
The  application  of  terms  to  evil,  is  an  evidence  of 
sin  reigning.  This  language  is  an  instrument  in 
Satan's  hand  to  blind  men  to  their  ruin.  But  as  sin 
hath  reigned,  so  shall  grace  reign,  even  in  the  terms 
of  this  language,  unto  everlasting  life.  Wherever 
sin  hath  set  up  its  throne  and  swayed  its  sceptre, 
there  shall  grace  come  in  and  set  up  a  higher  throne, 
and  sway  a  mightier  sceptre.  Would  that  I  might 
do  something  for  the  conversion  of  this  language,  and 
through  it  of  this  people  unto  God  ! 

Monday,  29th.  Busy  in  the  fore  part  of  the  day 
with  my  teacher,  and  at  the  Four  Books.  At  three, 
visited  Mr.  Culbertson.  Coming  back,  was  barked 
at  unmercifully  by  several  dogs.     As  soon  as  I  am 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  369 

three  steps  beyond  them,  they  follow  for  a  square  or 
two,  barkmg  and  yelping  without  ceasing.  It  does 
make  one  feel  as  a  stranger  to  be  barked  at  in  this 
way,  for  they  do  not  move  their  tongue  to  a  China- 
man. 

March  31st.  All  day  at  my  Chinese  studies,  and 
at  the  Four  Books.  At  five,  p.  m.,  took  a  walk  for 
relaxation.  Gathered  some  spring  flowers,  for  my 
flower-pot ;  a  few  wild  lemon  floAvers,  some  clover, 
some  yellow  primroses,  some  parsley,  and  one  or  two 
others.  In  one  place  came  across  a  dead  dog,  and  two 
other  dogs  lying  by  him.  In  a  few  steps  beyond, 
saw  a  flowermg  almond  in  full  and  luxurious  bloom. 
So  it  is  in  this  strange,  melancholy  world  of  ours. 
When  most  pleasantly  engaged,  you  are  wounded 
and  grieved  by  some  revolting  spectacle,  and  again 
in  a  moment  delighted  with  some  scene  almost  too 
fair  and  beautiful  for  aught  but  heaven. 

April  1st.  In  the  evening  looked  over  my  Chi- 
nese sermon.  At  first  it  took  me  three  evenings  to 
prepare  a  discourse,  but  now  I  commonly  get  through 
very  easily  in  one  evening.  I  find  I  am  generally 
understood,  but  mistakes  are  often  made  by  begin- 
ners. I  often  wonder  how  the  Chinese  can  keep 
such  grave  faces,  when  they  hear  such  queer  combi- 
nations as  we  foreigners  sometimes  make  out  of 
their  langua2:e.  The  only  time  they  ever  laughed 
at  a  mistake  I  made,  was  when  I  spoke  of  "Peter's 
mother's  wife,"  instead  of  "Peter's  wife's  mother." 
Even  then  some  of  the  elder  hearers  seemed  scan- 
dalized, that  the  young  ones  were  amused  at  a  mis- 
take of  "the  guest." 

April  3d.  Looked  a  little  into  a  work  in  Chinese, 
on  astronomy,  geography  and  watch-making,  by 
some  of  the  Roman  Catholic  missionaries  of  former 
days.  It  gives  the  Ptolemaic  system  of  astronomy, 
that  the  sun  and  stars  move  round  the  earth.  In  the 
numerous  books  they  published  in  China,  they 
always  explained  astronomy  in  the  old  style,  and 
published   books   and  plates,  representing  the  sun 


370  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

and  stars  revolving  round  the  earth.  I  have  seen 
some  of  these  books. 

April  25th.  Preached  to  some  twenty  or  thirty 
persons  on  the  Tenth  Commandment,  and  was  fa- 
voured with  a  good  deal  of  fluency  in  speech. 
Several  were  very  attentive ;  and  after  sitting  down, 
I  got  into  a  conversation  which  lasted  more  than  an 
hour,  in  reference  to  idolatr}^,  creation,  redemption, 
the  creed,  &c.  On  the  whole,  it  was  a  very  satis- 
factory meeting,  yet  alas !  without  the  Spirit  of  God, 
of  what  avail  is  it  all?  The  people  laugh  at  their 
idols,  but  go  and  worship  them  still. 

After  dismissing  the  audience,  I  found  a  couple 
of  natives  of  the  place,  a  Mr.  Tai,  and  a  Mr.  Leu, 
waiting  to  speak  with  me.  I  had  seen  them  both 
before,  and  the  first  of  them  several  times.  He  was 
first  led  to  think  about  Christianity,  by  a  Chinese 
who  came  up  here  with  Dr.  Macgowan,  and  who 
first  brought  him  to  my  notice.  Last  week  he  sent 
me  a  letter  requesting  baptism,  and  came  to-day  to 
speak  about  it.  He  said  that  himself  and  his  friend, 
Mr.  Leu,  and  another,  Mr.  Chow,  whom  I  have 
also  seen,  are  all  pretty  much  decided  for  Chris- 
tianit}^ ;  and  though,  as  he  says,  he  is  much  laughed 
at  and  reviled  by  his  friends,  3^et  he  professes  a 
determination  to  persevere  even  until  death.  I  had 
a  tolerably  satisfactory  conversation  with  them^  and 
we  prayed  together. 

Worship  of  ancestors  is  one  of  the  great  features 
of  the  Chinese  rehgion;  every  family  nas  a  picture 
of  the  flither  and  mother,  to  which  incense  is  offered, 
and  rehgious  worship  performed.  Mr.  Tai  asked 
what  he  should  do.  lie  said  he  had  taken  down 
the  pictures  and  laid  them  away,  and  has  fully  de- 
termined not  to  worship  them  any  more;  ^'and  if  I 
should  deceive  you  by  saying  I  do  not  worship  them, 
when  I  do  worship  them,  yet  I  could  not  deceive 
God."  He  has,  however,  been  told  he  should  burn 
the  pictures.  Now  this  seems  hard,  for  being  por- 
traits of  his  parents,  he  wishes  to  keep  them  just  as 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  371 

we  would.  Does  this  case  fall  under  the  rule  of 
destroying  every  vestige  of  idolatry,  no  matter  what 
it  be? 

April  18th.  Finished  the  first  draught  of  the 
Shorter  Catechism  in  Chinese,  and  May  11th, 
finished  revision  of  it  with  teacher. 

May  16th.  Preached  to-day  on  heaven;  but  it 
was  talking  of  things  in  which  the  people  seemed  to 
feel  that  they  had  little  concern.  Had  more  satis- 
faction in  a  short  extempore  address  I  made  after- 
wards, on  the  main  object  of  Christianity.  Two  or 
three  inquirers  were  present,  who  have  been  attend- 
ing at  Dr.  Macgowan's,  but  of  late  have  shown  a 
disposition,  entirely  of  their  own,  to  come  to  me. 
I  asked  two  of  them  to  make  some  remarks,  as  I 
knew  they  had  been  in  the  habit  of  talking  on  the 
subject  of  Christianity.  They  both  did  so;  what 
they  said  was  good  enough,  but  it  did  not  seem  very 
direct  or  impressive. 

I  find  the  Commentary  on  Luke  takes  very  well ; 
one  of  them  inquired  with  much  interest,  if  any 
more  or  other  books  would  be  published,  remarking 
that  it  was  very  hard  to  understand  our  Scriptures 
without  them,  which  is  true.  The  drought  still  con- 
tinues. 


Shanghai,  June    3d,  1847. 

My  Dear  Father — In  some  of  my  previous  let- 
ters, I  mentioned  to  you  my  expectation  of  visiting 
this  place.  The  object  is  to  be  present  at  the  Con- 
vention for  the  revision  of  the  translation  of  the 
New  Testament,  to  which  I  have  been  appointed  one 
of  the  delegates.  The  other  delegates  are  Drs. 
Medhurst,  Boone,  Bridgman,  and  Mr.  J.  Stronach. 
I  do  not  yet  know  of  any  others,  and  presume  there 
are  no  others.  Bridgman  and  Stronach  are  not  yet 
here,  but  are  expected  daily.  1  supposed  the  Con- 
vention w.ould  not  sit  more  than  six  or  seven  weeks. 


372  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

but  every  one  here  seems  to  think  that  six  months 
is  the  shortest  possible  time,  and  a  year  is  spoken 
of  as  more  probable.  The  work  is  important  enough, 
no  doubt,  to  deserve  so  much  time,  though  I  have 
some  doubts  as  to  the  expediency  of  it  just  now. 
However,  as  I  am  the  youngest  and  least  skilled  in 
Chinese  of  all  the  members,  I  do  not  expect  to  do 
very  much  except  to  look  on  and  see  w^hat  is  done. 
In  the  mean  time,  I  expect  to  pursue  my  Chinese 
studies,  much  as  at  Ningpo,  except  that  I  fear  I 
shall  lose  in  the  practice  of  the  colloquial  of  that 
place.  The  dialect  here  is  a  good  deal  like  that  of 
Ningpo,  and  yet  so  much  unlike,  that  while  I  can 
make  myself  tolerably  well  understood,  I  find  a 
good  deal  of  difficulty  in  understanding  others  ;  but 
a  little  practice  will  assist  me. 

I  left  Ningpo,  May  24th,  but  owing  to  adverse 
wdnds,  had  to  lie  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  till  the 
29  th.  I  then  came  by  way  of  Chapoo  to  this  place 
in  three  days,  one  of  which,  being  the  Sabbath, 
was  spent  at  anchor  in  the  canal.  I  did  not  apply 
for  a  permit  to  come  by  the  way  of  Chapoo,  and 
met  no  molestation  or  hinderance  in  passing  through 
that  place.  The  route  from  Ningpo  to  Shanghai, 
via  Chapoo,  may  now  be  considered  an  open  route, 
as  several  foreigners  have  passed  both  ways,  and  no 
notice  has  been  taken  of  it  by  the  Chinese  author- 
ities. It  is  a  great  convenience  to  us,  and  is  one 
among  the  many  evidences  how  the  country  is 
opening.  Chang-Chow,  where  the  visit  of  Mr.  Abeel 
and  myself  made  so  much  noise,  some  years  ago, 
has  been  visited  several  times  of  late,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  that  the  country  will  be  as  wide  open  in  a 
few  years  as  we  can  desire  it. 

Your  letter  of  December  17th  reached  me  last 
week,  also  two  mission  letters  of  November  and 
December 

I  have  referred  so  often  to  my  Dictionary,  that 
I  am  afraid  you  will  be  tired  of  the  very  mention 
of  it;  but  I  will  trouble  you  once  more*     I  have 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  373 

collected  all  the  significations  of  all  the  words  in  the 
Four  Books,  and  have  concluded  to  go  on  with  the 
work  so  as  to  include  the  Five  Classics,  though 
perhaps  I  may  not  include  the  Le  Ke,  a  large  and 
for  the  most  part  very  trifling  and  useless  work. 
In  the  Four  Books  there  are  in  all  two  thousand 
three  hundred  and  forty-five  different  characters, 
and  in  the  Four  Books  and  Five  Classics,  the  Le  Ke 
excepted,  there  are  rather  more  than  four  thousand 
and  two  hundred.  I  may  perhaps  send  a  list  of 
them  some  day,  from  which  you  will  see  that  the 
great  body  of  the  language  is  contained  in  them, 
i.  e.,  the  great  body  of  the  really  useful  characters. 
Now,  my  plan  is  to  give  each  of  these  characters 
with  its  pronunciation  in  Mandarin,  and  in  the  dia- 
lect of  each  of  the  five  ports  now  open  to  foreigners. 
Then  to  give  the  etymology  of  the  word  from  native 
dictionaries,  where  I  think  such  etymology  worth 
notice.  Then  to  give  the  different  significations, 
whether  as  verbs,  nouns,  adjectives,  &c.,  and  at  least 
one  quotation  to  illustrate  each  signification,  with 
reference  to  the  page  and  line  where  found.  This 
will  be  the  body  of  the  work  :  but  my  plan  includes 
a  good  deal  more,  for  as  the  whole  of  the  ancient 
history,  geography,  &c.  of  China,  is  contained  in 
these  Four  Books  and  Five  Classics,  I  want  my 
work  to  be  a  sort  of  '^  Classical  Dictionary"  on  these 
points.  Hence  I  propose  short  biographical,  histori- 
cal, geographical  sketches  under  the  appropriate 
characters,  with  references  to  such  native  and 
foreign  authors  as  ma}^  give  the  student  fuller  details. 
You  see  this  is  a  pretty  extensive  plan.  As  to  time, 
I  have  no  idea  that  I  can  do  it  in  less  than  five  years, 
without  neglecting  other  works,  which  I  think  are 
entitled  to  the  first  place. 

But  here  I  am  met  by  a  great  difficulty.  We 
have  few  books  in  Ningpo.  My  hbrary  is  by  far 
the  best  there,  and  yet  it  is  a  poor  thing  compared 
with  some  that  are  in  China,  and  it  is  miserably  de- 
ficient in  works  relating  to  China,  many  of  which 


374  MEMOIR   OP   WALTER   M.    IX)WRIE. 

are  quite  essential  to  me  in  carrying  on  my  nnder- 
taking.  Is  there  any  way  of  supplying  this  want  ? 
The  books  I  refer  to  would  cost  I  suppose  some  five 
hundred  dollars,  and  w^ould  be  of  great  service,  not 
merely  to  myself,  but  to  all  our  mission,  and  I  think 
ought  to  be  possessed  in  a  mission  like  ours.  I  will 
make  out  a  list  of  them  in  a  few  days,  and  send 
to  3'ou  by  next  mail.  I  mentioned  several  of  them 
in  some  former  letters,  which  I  hope  you  will  be 
able  to  procure.     They  are  all  to  be  had  in  Paris  or 

Berlin 

My  health  is  very  good,  and  I  remain  as  ever, 
Your  affectionate  son, 

W.    M.   LOWRIE. 


Shanghai,  July  23d,  1847. 

Rev.  John  C.  Lowrie — My  Dear  Brother  : — I  am 
in  your  debt  for  several  letters,  w^hich  I  must  now 
endeavour  to  repay.  I  have  been  here  nearly  two 
months,  and  as  yet  I  am  quite  unable  to  give  any 
definite  idea  w^hen  we  shall  get  through.  Owing  to 
the  uncertainty  of  travelling  up  and  dow^n  this  coast, 
some  members  of  the  Convention  did  not  get  here  till 
the  28th  ult. ;  wdiile  I,  w^ho  w^as  punctual  to  the  day, 
had  to  w\ait  on  my  oars  from  the  1st  ult.  After  we 
got  together,  all  went  on  well  for  a  week,  when  we 
were  stopped  by  a  question  wdiich  has  excited  no 
little  talk  and  writing  for  some  time,  "What  is  the 

E roper  w^ord  for  God  in  Chinese?"  Morrison  and 
lilne  have  adopted  the  word  SJiin,  which,  according 
to  the  best  judgment  I  can  form,  means  God,  or 
Divln'ihj  in  general.  Mr.  JNIedhurst  for  many  years 
used  the  same  term,  and  even  so  late  as  this  present 
year,  1847,  has  pubhshed  a  dictionary  in  which  he 
says,  "  The  Chinese  themselves,  for  God,  and  invisible 
beings  in  general,  use  shinr  But  some  twelve  years 
ago  or  more,  he  began  to  use  Shang  Te,  Suprem-e 
rvlet',  for  the  true  God,  and  shin  for  false  god.     Mr. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  375 

GutzlafF  also  did  the  same ;  and  these  two  being  the 
best  and  most  experienced  Chinese  scholars,  had  of 
course  great  weight.  And  most  of  the  missionaries 
were  carried  away  by  their  example.  For  some 
years  past,  however,  there  has  been  a  good  deal  said 
on  the  subject,  and  a  strong  disposition  manifested 
to  return  to  the  old  way.  Shcmg  Te  is  objected  to, 
first,  as  being  the  distinctive  title  of  the  national 
deity  of  China,  and  hence  something  like  the  Jupiter 
of  Rome ;  and  second,  it  is  not  a  generic  term,  and 
cannot  be  used  in  such  passages  as  "  Chemosh  thy 
god,  and  JehoA^ah  our  God,"  ''  If  Jehovah  be  God," 
&c.  "  The  unknown  God,  him  declare  I  unto  you," 
&c.  In  fact  there  are  many  verses  where  the  point 
and  emphasis  rests  on  the  use  of  the  same  generic 
word  all  through,  as  in  John  x.  35,  36,  1  Cor.  viii. 
6,  &c.  Hence  of  late  many  of  the  missionaries  wish 
to  return  to  the  old  word,  and  a  good  deal  has  been 
written  in  the  Chinese  Repository,  and  a  great  deal 
said  on  the  subject.  Dr.  Medhurst,  however,  has 
taken  up  the  cudgels  in  earnest,  and  printed  a  book 
of  nearly  three  hundred  pages,  in  which  he  maintains 
that  shin  never  means  god,  much  less  the  supreme 
God.  This,  by  the  way,  is  in  opposition  to  three  dic- 
tionaries of  his  own,  published  in  the  last  ten  years. 
And  he  further  maintains  that  te^  which  properly 
means  riile^^,  is  the  generic  term  for  God  in  Chinese; 
and  that  Sluing  Te^  '^Iligh  or  Suj)reme  Ruler,"  is 
the  proper  wora  to  translate  Elohim  and  Thcos,  when 
they  refer  to  the  true  God.  So  the  case  stood  when 
the  Convention  met.  We  went  on  w^ith  the  revision 
very  well,  till  we  came  to  Matt.  i.  23,  where  the  word 
Theos  occurs.  Dr.  Bridgman  then  proposed  that 
we  use  the  word  Skin.  Bishop  Boone  seconded  this; 
and  it  was  well  known  that  my  views  coincided  with 
theirs.  Dr.  Medhurst  and  Mr.  Stronach  took  de- 
cided ground  for  SJiang  Te:  and  so  we  have  now 
been  discussing  this  question  for  thi'ee  wrecks,  Med- 
hurst and  Boone  being  chief  speakers.  The  latter 
is  a  superior  debater,  and  having  a  very  quick  and 


376  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

logical  mind,  pressed  Dr.  Medhurst  so  closely,  that 
lie  declared  he  must  have  all  down  in  black  and 
white.  We  agreed  to  this,  and  Bishop  Boone  and 
m3^self  worked  hard  for  a  week,  and  wrote  out  an 
argument  for  Shin,  covering  twenty-six  folio  pages. 
Dr.  Medhurst,  who  had  spent  five  months  in  writing 
his  book,  and  scarcely  allowed  us  ten  days  to  answer 
it,  took  our  answer  so  seriously,  that  he  said  he  must 
have  some  weeks  to  prepare  a  reply.  So  he  and  Mr. 
Stronach  are  now  engaged  on  this.  I  greatly  fear 
that  the  result  of  all  Avill  be,  that  each  side  will  hold 
their  own  views,  and  Dr.  Medhurst  and  Mr.  Stro- 
nach wdll  secede.  In  that  case  there  will  be  two  ver- 
sions or  none.  A  large  majority  of  the  missionaries 
in  China,  I  believe,  are  for  Shin;  most  of  our  mis- 
sionaries are  strongly  for  it,  though  one  or  two  hesi- 
tate a  little ;  all  the  Baptists ;  all  the  Episcopalians, 
both  English  and  Americans;  most  of  the  American 
Board  missionaries,  and  several  even  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society.  This  of  itself  is  a  strong  proof 
for  Shin,  for  it  shows  that  even  the  acknowledged 
Chinese  scholarship  of  Medhurst  and  Gutzlaff  is  not 
able  to  command  assent  for  Shang  Te.  But  I  did 
not  mean  to  write  so  much  on  this. 

.  .  .  This  summer,  so  far,  has  been  very  pleasant; 
nothing  like  so  hot  as  last  year.  I  am  staying  at 
Bishop  Boone's,  where  they  make  me  feel  very  com- 
fortable. Hitherto  our  agreement  of  views  on  the 
question  we  have  been  discussing,  has  made  us  the 
best  of  friends.  He  is  of  course  a  strong  Episcopa- 
lian, but  withal  very  catholic,  and  speaks  very  cor- 
dially of  "other  churches"  and  their  ministers  as 
"ministers  of  Christ."  He  has  shown  an  excellent 
spirit,  thus  far,  in  the  convention. 

Mr.  Milne  often  speaks  of  you  with  much  kind- 
ness. He  and  Medhurst  and  Stronach,  are  all  weU. 
Believe  me  ever. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  377 

Shanghai,  29th  July,  1847. 

My  Dear  Father —  ....  I  think  it  probable  that 
we  shall  have  the  remainder  of  the  discussions  re- 
specting the  term  for  God  next  week.  It  is  my 
daily  prayer  that  we  may  be  directed  to  a  right 
conclusion.  The  importance  of  the  subject  seems  to 
grow  the  more  it  is  examined,  though  this  is  often 
the  case,  even  in  unimportant  matters,  when  the 
mind  is  intently  fixed  on  them ;  and  the  more  ex- 
amination I  give  it,  the  more  I  feel  satisfied  that 
without  the  generic  term  for  God,  it  will  be  extremely 
difficult  to  give  the  Chinese  correct  ideas  of  our 
theology.  If  that  word  be  not  Shin,  I  am  utterly 
unable  to  see  what  it  is.  Dr.  Medhurst  now  sa3^s 
it  is  Te,  but  this  is  an  idea  taken  up  within  the  last 
five  months,  and  is  in  opposition  to  all  his  own  dic- 
tionaries, and  translations,  and  to  aU  the  experience 
of  all  who  have  ever  written  in  or  on  the  language. 
I  make  my  remarks  in  this  sweeping  style,  because 
convinced  of  their  truth.  Even  the  Chinese  say, 
"  We  don't  use  the  word  Te  in  that  sense."  Oh  for 
the  Spirit  of  wisdom  and  grace  to  direct  us !  It  is 
a  matter  of  much  thankfulness  that  Dr.  Boone's 
health  permits  him  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  dis- 
cussion; as  the  character  of  his  mind  and  acquire- 
ments, and  his  readiness  as  a  debater,  are  of  the 
utmost  importance  in  discussing  with  Dr.  Medhurst. 
Having  no  fondness  for  such  contests,  I  sav  but  lit- 
tle ;  but  spend  a  good  deal  of  time  with  Dr.  B.  in 
examining  the  subject  in  the  native  Chinese  authors. 

I  hope  in  the  next  overland  to  be  able  to  give  an 
account  of  the  close  of  the  discussion.  In  the 
meantime,  I  suppose  it  will  be  better  not  to  publish 
anything  about  it,  beyond  the  general  fact  of  the 
Convention  being  in  session. 

I  am  anxious  to  study  the  3Ia7ichu  Tartar,  a  lan- 
guage not  studied  as  yet  by  any  one  of  the  mis- 
sionaries, but  of  great  miportance  in  explaining 
Chinese,  as  the  French  scholars  have  shown  in  their 

32* 


378  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER  M.   LOWRIE. 

books  published  in  France;  and  which,  as  this 
country  becomes  open  to  us,  and  allows  us  to  go 
further  north,  will  be  found  to  be  of  great  utility. 
See  an  article  on  this  subject  in  the  Chinese  Re- 
pository of  1844,  by  Mr.  Gushing.  For  this,  I 
would  like  the  following  books : — Gerbillon,  Ele- 
menta  Linguae  Tartaricae ;  Amyot,  Grammaire  Tar- 
tare  Mantchou;  Langles,  Dictionnaire  Tartare  Mant- 
chou  Frangais,  3  vols.  4to ;  Klaproth^  Chrestomathie 
Mandchou :  Paris,  1828. 

So    far  the  summer   is  very  pleasant,  and   my 
health  better  than  in  any  previous  summer.  . . . 
Your  very  affectionate  son, 

W.  M.  LOWRIE. 


SJianghai,  August  8th,  1847. 
Rev.  Joseph  Owen — Dear  Brother  : — I  wrote  to 
3^ou  some  time  ago  a  letter  which  1  hope  you  have 
received.  I  now  write  on  a  special  occasion,  and 
shall  be  very  glad  if  you  can  give  me  a  pretty  full 
answer  by  return  mail.  I  am  here  attending  a  Con- 
vention for  revising  the  Translation  of  the  Ncav 
Testament  into  Chinese.  We  are  divided  on  one 
point  of  great  importance.  Some  of  us  in  transla- 
ting D^'HIvJ^  ^nf^  0fog,  wish  to  use  the  word  Shin, 
wdiich  is  the  Chinese  term  for  God,  or  Divinit}^  in 

feneral.  It  is  appUed  to  all  their  gods,  from  the 
ighest  to  the  lowest,  and  to  the  spirits  of  ances- 
tors, which  are  always  deified  and  worshipped  by 
their  descendants ;  and  the  being  who  is  supposed 
to  be  in  all  their  idols  is  also  called  Shin.  Hence  it 
is  the  generic  term  for  God,  just  as  ©eog,  ["  Gods 
many  and  Lords  many,  but  to  us  one  God,"  &c.) 
Others  of  us  prefer  the  term  Shang-te,  which  means 
Supreme  Rider,  and  is  the  name  or  title  of  the  chief 
divmity  worshipped  by  the  Chinese.     This  is  not  a 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  379 

generic  term,  nor  capable  of  being  applied  alike  to 
true  and  false  gods,  nor  of  being  used  in  the  plural. 
Such  is  the  state  of  the  case. 

What  I  want  to  ask  is,  what  is  the  custom  in  In- 
dia? Do  you  find  any  term  applied  by  the  natives 
to  all  their  gods  ?  And  do  you  use  this  term,  and 
say,  "You  worship  many  gods^  but  they  are  false, 
and  we  preach  to  you  the  true  GodT  Or  do  you  use 
a  distinct  term,  in  speaking  of  the  true  God,  from 
that  used  to  designate  false  gods  ? 

Some  say  that  in  Arabic  there  is  one  term  for  the 
true  God,  which  is  used  for  him  alone,  and  others 
for  false  gods ;  and  that  in  such  sentences  as  "  Che- 
mosh  thy  god,  and  Jehovah  our  God,"  (Judges  xi. 
24,)  different  words  are  used  to  express  the  word 

DTl^X.  Is  this  so?  Any  light  you  can  give  us 
will  be  very  valuable.  Please  direct  to  me  at  this 
place,  care  of  Rt.  Rev.  W.  J.  Boone,  D.  D.,  Shang- 
hai, as  I  shall  probably  be  here  when  your  answer 
comes. 

The  question  is  a  very  important  one  here,  and 
has  been  a  good  deal  discussed.  Medhurst,  and 
Gatzlaff,  and  John  Stronach  are  the  chief  advocates 
of  Shang-te;  Legge,  Bridgman,  Boone,  and  myself, 
are  among  the  supporters  of  Shin,  as  were  Morrison 
and  Milne  before,  and  a  majority  of  the  present 
missionaries  in  China. 

My  health  is  very  good,  as  is  that  of  most  of 
the  members  of  our  mission,  saving  the  languor 
produced  by  the  heat  of  summer.  Poor  Brother 
Speer  has  lost  both  his  wife  and  daughter.  Dr. 
Medhurst  preaches  three  times  every  Sabbath,  and 
twice  during  the  week,  to  audiences  varying  from 
one  hundred  to  four  hundred  persons.  Two  or  three 
persons  have  been  baptized  here,  and  as  many  in 
Ningpo,  and  on  the  whole,  we  are  encouraged. 

With  kind  regards  to  Mrs.  Owen,  and  a  kiss  to 
your  son,  believe  me,  in  haste,  ever 

Affectionately  yours,  W.  M.  Lowrie. 


380  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 


From  the  Rev.  A,  W.  Loomis^  of  the  Ningpo  Mission, 

Ningpo,  August  25th,  1847. 

Walter  Lowrie,  Esq — Honoured  and  very  Dear 
Sir  : — It  has  become  my  painful  duty  to  act  on  this 
occasion  as  the  bearer  of  mournful  tidings,  and  may 
you,  my  dear  sir,  and  your  family  be  enabled  to  say, 
""  It  is  the  Lord,  let  him  do  as  seemeth  him  good." 
I  need  not  attempt  to  hide  anything  from  you  : 
for  your  God,  who  has  enabled  you  cheerfully  to 
consecrate  one  after  another  of  your  dear  children  to 
his  service  here  below,  will  enable  you  submissively 
to  resign  them  when  they  are  called  to  his  service 
above.  I  trust  you  will  be  able  to  say,  "  The  Lord 
gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away :  blessed  be 
the  name  of  the  Lord." 

Our  brother,  Walter  M.  Lowrie,  wdiom  we  loved, 
is  no  more,  for  God  has  taken  him.  We  have  con- 
fidence that  our  loss  is  his  unspeakable  gain.  The 
stroke  has  fallen  heavily  upon  us,  yet  He  who 
loved  him  infinitely  more  than  we  could,  saw  fit  to 
take  him  to  himself. 

The  new^s  of  this  melancholy  event  reached  here 
yesterday,  brought  by  Mr.  Lowrie's  long  tried  and 
faithful  servant,  and  by  another  Chinaman  in  the 
emploj^ment  of  the  mission.  [Mr.  Loomis  then 
mentions  that  this  man  had  been  sent  from  Ningpo 
to  Shanghai,  where  Mr.  Lowrie  was  attending  the 
Convention  for  the  revised  translation  of  the  New 
Testament,  requesting  him  to  return  to  the  station 
at  Ningpo,  with  reference  to  certain  occurrences  at 
that  station.]  Mr.  Lowrie,  with  these  two  attend- 
ants, set  out  from  Shanghai  on  Monday,  August 
16  th,  by  the  canal  to  Chapoo.  They  arrived,  all 
well,  at  Chapoo,  on  the  morning  of  the  18th.  A 
boat  was  engaged,  one  of  the  regular  passenger 
boats,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  18th  all  went  on 
board  with  their  baggage,  to  be  in  readiness  for 
an  early  departui'e  next  morning.     During  the  day 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  381 

of  the  18 til  inst.,  he  had  been  about  through  the 
city  without  anything  unpleasant  having  occurred 
in  his  treatment  by  the  Chinese.  On  the  morning 
of  the  19th,  the  boat  in  which  they  had  taken 
passage  set  saih  very  early.  The  wind  was  unfa- 
vourable, being  strong  from  the  South.  Accordingly 
it  was  necessary  to  beat,  and  the  boat  sailed,  as 
is  supposed,  about  twelve  miles  in  a  south-easterly 
direction ;  when  suddenly  a  vessel  was  seen  bear- 
ing down  upon  them  very  rapidly.  It  was  a  craft 
like  those  which  belong  to  Chapoo,  with  three  masts 
and  eight  oars.  At  the  sight  of  this  vessel  the 
boatmen  and  other  Chinamen  (passengers)  in  the 
boat,  were  greatly  terrified,  and  were  for  turning 
back,  but  Mr.  Lowrie  endeavoured  to  allay  their 
fears.  As  they  drew  nearer,  he  showed  a  small 
American  flag  which  he  had  with  him,  but  still  they 
came  on,  and  soon  discharged  their  fire-arms.  Upon 
this,  he  went  to  the  inner  part  of  the  boat,  having 
been  previously  standing  in  the  open  part  of  the 
boat  in  the  bow.  When  the  pirates  came,  they 
boarded  the  boat  with  swords  and  spears,  and  began 
to  thrust  and  beat  all  who  stood  in  their  way ;  espe- 
cially they  seemed  to  seek  out  and  maim  the  sailors, 
or  the  strong  and  able-bodied,  to  put  an  end  to  their 
interference.  All  agree  in  stating  that  they  did 
not  see  a  si7igle  blow  inflicted  on  Mr.  Lowrie.  He 
is  said  to  have  seated  himself  on  a  chair  or  box,  and 
remained  quietly  ;  and  when  they  were  breaking 
open  a  trunk  with  their  heavy  spears,  he  took  out 
the  key  and  gave  it  to  them,  saying,  "  There  is  no 
need  to  break^it  open,  here  is  the  key."  The  pirates 
continued  their  work  of  plunder,  breaking  open 
everything  and  taking  out  such  things  as  they 
Avished,  and  stripping  even  the  clothes  from  the 
Chinamen.  Yet  they  did  not  touch  anything  that 
was  on  him;  even  his  watch,  and  perhaps  seven 
or  eight  doUars  that  were  in  his  pocket,  they  did 
not  take.  They  stripped  and  beat  his  servant, 
which  he  requested  them  to  stop,  as  the  poor  man 


382  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

was  sick.  Being  probably  unable  to  stay  and  witness 
such  cruelty,  he  then  went  out  and  sat  on  the  bow 
of  the  boat. 

Before  they  had  finished  plundering,  something 
seemed  to  have  awakened  a  fear  in  the  minds  of  the 
irates,  lest  when  he  reached  Shanghai  they  would 
e  reported  to  the  authorities,  whereupon  they 
debated  for  a  moment  whether  they  would  kill  him 
or  throw  him  alive  into  the  sea.  They  hastily 
determined  upon  the  latter,  and  two  men  seized 
him;  and  they  being  unable  to  effect  their  purpose, 
another  came  up,  and  he  was  thrown  overboard. 
One  of  the  boatmen,  who  was  near  him  during  his 
last  moments,  states  that  while  the  pirates  were  ran- 
sacking the  boat,  he  was  engaged  in  reading  his 
pocket  Bible,  and  when  they  seized  him  on  deck,  he 
had  it  still  in  his  hand.  As  they  were  in  the  act 
of  casting  him  into  the  sea,  he  turned  himself  par- 
tially around,  and  threw  his  Bible  upon  the  deck.* 
He  had  also  the  presence  of  mind,  as  he  was  going 
overboard,  to  throw  off  his  shoes,  and  he  swam 
about  for  some  time  in  the  water.  He  was  seen  to 
turn  several  times,  as  if  he  would  struggle  towards 
the  boat;  but  as  one  of  the  pirates  stood  with  a  long 
pole,  having  an  iron  hook  at  the  end,  in  his  hands, 
ready  to  strike  him  when  he  approached,  he  desisted, 
and  soon  sank.  Such  has  been  the  sad  end  of  our 
dear  brother.  .  .  . 

I  will  not  add  to  your  distress  by  alluding  to  the 
deep  gloom  caused  by  this  most  melancholy  news. 
May  our  Lord  remember  us  in  this  bereavement. 
JMa}^  his  parents  and  relatives  be  able  to  say, 
""  Though  lie  slay  me  yet  will  I  trust  in  him." 
With  much  respect, 

I  am  yours  in  the  Lord, 

A.  W.  LooMis. 

^  This  Bible  was  aftcrwarcls  fouiul  and  taken  to  Ningpo.  It  is  a  copy 
of  Ba<j;ster"s  Vhwo.  edition  in  Hebrew,  Greek,  and  English.  It  is  the 
same  copj  lie  preserved  with  so  much  difficulty  and  care  in  his  shipwreck 
in  the  Harmony. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  383 


From  the  Right  Rev.    W.  J.  Boone,  D.  D.,  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Mission  at  Shanghai. 

Shanghai,  August  31st,  1847. 

Walter  Lowrie,  Esq  : — My  Dear  Sir  : — I  cannot 
resist  the  strong  impulse  of  my  heart  to  commune 
with  you,  and  to  mingle  my  sorrows  and  tears  with 
yours  at  this  time.  Our  merciful  and  loving  heav- 
enly Father  has  seen  good,  in  his  infinite  wisdom, 
to  afflict  us  all  in  a  very  tender  point.  To  you 
especially,  my  dear  sir,  he  has  sent  a  very  heavy 
trial.  May  his  grace  be  abundantly  bestowed  to 
enable  you  to  bear  it  with  entire  submission  to  his 
will.  Indeed,  my  dear  sir,  he  is  too  wise  to  err: 
too  good  to  do  what  is  unkind. 

In  his  infinite  wisdom  it  has  seemed  good  to  him 
to  take  to  himself  your  beloved  Walter;  and  that, 
too,  under  circumstances  which  have  wrung  our 
hearts  with  anguish.  My  heart's  prayer  for  you  is, 
that  when  you  hear  the  sad  story,  you  may  be 
enabled  to  say  with  the  aged  Eli,  ^'It  is  the  Lord; 
let  him  do  whatsoever  seemeth  to  him  good." 

He  has  done  so,  and,  in  this  case,  not  in  wrath, 
but  in  mercy  and  in  loving  kindness.  He  has  re- 
moved your  dear  son  from  his  vineyard  on  earth  to 
a  nobler  service  in  his  sanctuary  above. 

His  work  was  done.  The  time  of  his  removal 
arrived,  and  the  circumstances  thereof  I  am  per- 
suaded were  ordered  for  the  benefit  of  us  who  sur- 
vive, rather  than  for  anything  to  be  effected  thereby 
on  our  dear  brother  himself. 

You  will  no  doubt  receive  full  particulars  from 
your  brethren  at  Ningpo,  but  lest  their  letters  may 
not  reach  you  by  this  overland  mail,  I  will  mention 
them.  You  are  aware  that  he  was'  at  Shanghai  as 
a  member  of  the  translating  committee.  On  Satur- 
day, the  14th  day  of  August,  he  received  a  letter 
from  his  brethren  at  Ningpo,  requesting  him  to  join 
them  immediately.     [Dr.    Boone  here   relates   the 


384  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

particulars  of  this  melancholy  event,  as  given  in  the 
letter  of  Mr.  Loomis.]  .  .  .  His  servant  escaped  to 
Ningpo,  and  communicated  these  particulars,  which 
we  devoutly  thank  God  he  has  permitted  to  reach 
us,  so  that  we  hear  of  him  to  the  last  moment,  and 
that  these  violent  men  did  not  mangle  his  body. 

Oh,  my  dear  brother,  I  feel  that  these  are  sad 
tidings  to  write  to  an  affectionate  father  of  a  son, 
and  of  such  a  son ;  but  for  our  consolation  we  can 
surely  say  that  the  finger  of  God  was  never  more 
manifest  in  the  removal  of  any  of  his  servants  than 
in  this  case.  To  my  mind,  the  very  sUghtness  of  the 
secondary  causes  upon  which  his  life  and  death 
seemed  to  turn,  manifests  the  clearness  of  the  Divine 
Decree  to  take  him  to  his  Heavenly  Home. 

This  event  has  thrown  my  family,  who  had  the 
privilege  to  enjoy  his  company  for  the  last  two 
months  and  a  half  of  his  earthly  existence,  into  the 
deepest  affliction.  Dearly  as  I  know  he  was  be- 
loved by  the  mission  with  which  he  was  connected, 
yet  I  believe  no  one  in  China  mourns  his  loss  as  I 
do.  We  were  together  daily  for  two  months  and  a 
half,  labouring  together  in  what  we  both  believed  to 
be  the  most  important  matter  connected  with  our 
Master's  cause  in  China,  with  w^hich  we  had  ever 
been  connected. 

Circumstances  occurred  when  he  was  under  my 
roof  which  drew  our  hearts  very  closely  together, 
and  which  now,  as  I  look  back  upon  them  after 
what  has  just  transi)ired,  I  cannot  but  regard  as  a 
merciful  preparation  to  him  for  his  sudden  death. 
Whilst  he  was  with  me  I  was  twice  threatened  with 
attacks  of  the  brain,  which  I  thought  would  prove 
fatal  in  a  few  days.  On  these  occasions  we  had 
much  conversation  on  the  subject  of  a  sudden  sum- 
mons, and  how  a  Christian  should  live  and  feel  in 
view  of  such  an  event.  The  person  whose  call  was 
supposed  to  be  near  at  hand  was  myself.  We  never 
dreamt  that  he  was  so  near  the  confines  of  eternity; 
but  he  entered  into  the  subject  with  me  with  all  his 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  385 

heart.  Never  have  I  heard  any  one  converse,  who 
had  a  more  dehghtful  state  of  child-hke  simplicity 
of  heart  in  relying  upon  the  Saviour.  I  remember 
particularly  our  conversation,  when  we  were  sitting 
alone  one  moonlight  night,  upon  my  terrace.  We 
w^ere  speaking  of  tlie  case  of  a  man  removed  from  his 
field  of  labour  in  the  prime  of  early  manhood,  when 
he  gave  promise  of  daily  increasing  usefulness.  His 
train  of  thought  w^as  striking,  and  much  impressed 
m}^  mind ;  it  was  intended  for  consolation  to  me. 
God  grant  it  may  prove  so  to  you,  my  dear  sir, 
when  you  read  it.  He  said  he  could  not  view^  this 
matter  as  most  Christians  seemed  to  do.  He  could 
not  call  it  mysterious,  loeculiarlij  distressing,  as  was 
commonly  done.  On  the  contrary,  to  his  mind, 
there  was  something  peculiarl}^  cheering  to  survivors 
in  such  a  death.  In  the  case  of  an  old  man,  he  was 
removed  in  the  common  course  of  events.  Even  to 
our  eyes  his  work  was  done.  But  not  so  w^ith  the 
case  of  which  he  was  speaking.  The  peculiarity  of 
it  was,  that  there  was  promise  of  much  more  to  be 
done  here  for  the  glory  of  Christ.  This  world,  how^- 
ever,  we  may  be  well  assured,  is  but  the  first  stage 
of  our  existence :  God's  children  are  employed  in 
services  infinitely  more  glorious,  and  that  conduce 
much  more  to  the  glory  of  his  holy  name,  in  the 
sanctuary  above,  than  any  employments  entrusted 
to  them  on  earth.  Should  we  not  then,  said  he,  use 
their  early  manhood,  their  manifest  capacity,  for 
usefulness  in  the  vine3^ard  here  below,  —  indeed, 
every  argument  which  can  be  pleaded,  derived  from 
their  prospective  usefulness  to  the  Church  on  earth, 
to  assure  ourselves  that  God  has  called  them  to  a 
more  than  common  post  of  usefulness  in  the  Church 
triumphant?  His  modesty  and  deep  humility  would 
have  prevented  his  applying  this  to  his  own  death, 
but  from  my  heart  I  adopt  it  as  the  true  inferpreta- 
iioii  of  our  Heavenly  Father's  dealing  with  him  and 
with  his  cause  in  China  in  this  instance. 

If  this  be  the  true  view  of  the  case,  most  cheer- 

33 


386  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

ing  indeed  is  the  assurance  it  affords  us  of  his  pres- 
ent happy  state  and  glorious  position. 

No  one  in  China  promised  to  do  more  for  the 
cause  of  our  Divine  master  than  he.  Just  brought 
out  by  his  brethren's  choice  to  a  participation  in  the 
work  of  revising  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures, 
this  call  upon  him  was  having  the  happiest  effect  in 
overcoming  his  disposition  to  modest  retirement, 
and  making  him  feel  the  necessity  that  was  laid 
upon  him,  to  take  a  more  prominent  stand  among 
those  whose  attainments  in  the  language  qualified 
them  to  participate  in  all  of  a  general  character  that 
was  doing  to  advance  the  Saviour's  cause.  In  the 
unhappy  division  of  opinion  which  exists  with  re- 
spect to  the  proper  word  by  which  to  render  Theos 
(God)  he  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  discussion, 
and  wrote  on  this  subject  one  of  the  ablest  articles 
that  appeared  in  the  Chinese  Repository. 

He  was  daily  groAving  in  power,  and  the  field  of 
usefulness  was  continually  opening  wider  and  wider 
before  him ;  but  God  had  work  for  him  above  this 
vale  of  tears,  and  now  leaves  us  mourning  and  sor- 
rowing, to  do  the  great  work  without  his  aid.  0, 
that  by  the  Spirit's  gracious  influences  he  may  more 
than  supply  this  loss  to  us,  and  that  the  work,  for 
which  our  beloved  brother  was  labouring  with  all  his 
powers  when  he  was  taken  away,  may  be  so  accom- 
plished that  his  own  most  holy  name  may  be  glori- 
fied thereby. 

We  had  promised  each  other,  that  if  m?/  life  wns 
spared,  we  would  labour  much  together  to  set  the 
plain  doctrines  of  the  cross,  by  means  of  tracts, 
before  this  people ;  but,  alas !  he  is  not,  for  God  has 
taken  him. 

May  we  not  suppose  that  the  object  of  our 
gracious  Saviour,  in  giAdng  us,  in  addition  to  the 
general  promise  of  the  resurrection  of  all  at  the  last 
day,  the  special  assurance  that  "  the  sea  shall  give 
up  its  dead,"  is  to  assuage  the  grief  of  those  who 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  387 

have  been  bereaved  as  you  are,  and  whose  precious 
ones  lie  buried  in  the  deep. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  sir,  very  sincerely  yours,  in 
the  hope  of  a  common  resurrection  with  our  beloved 
brother.  Wm.  J.  Boone. 


From  the  Rev,   John  Lloyd,  of  the  Amoy  Mission:^ 

Amoyy  September  17th,  1847. 

Walter  Lowrie,  Esq. — My  Dear  Mr.  Lowrie: 
— ^Yesterday,  I  received  the  sad,  the  very  sad  intel- 
ligence of  Walter's  death.  I  need  not  tell  you  how 
much  I  was  affected  by  this  afflictive  event.  Walter 
was  very  dear  to  me.  I  loved  him  with  a  brother's 
love.  He  was  my  dearest  earthly  friend.  We  were 
born  into  God's  glorious  family  about  the  same  time. 
We  entered  the  church  on  the  same  day.  We 
formed  the  resolution  of  devoting  ourselves  to  the 
work  of  foreign  missions  about  the  same  time.  We 
often  took  sweet  counsel  together,  and  walked  to  the 
house  of  God.  We  often  talked  together  of  God's 
kind  dealings  with  us.  We  often  spoke  of  our  hopes. 
I  recollect  one  instance  of  this  kind  which  occurred 
at  Jefferson  College.  We  went  out  into  the  groves 
to  commune  with  each  other,  and  as  we  talked  by 
the  way,  our  hearts  did  burn  within  us.  Walter 
often  alluded  to  this  walk  and  talk  in  the  groves  of 
Canonsburgh  in  his  letters,  and  spoke  of  it  as  an 
antepast  of  the  joys  of  heaven.  All  this  intimacy 
with  him  while  we  were  in  coUeo^e,  gave  me  oppor- 
tunities of  learning  his  worth.  I  knew  his  inward 
mind  on  those  subjects  which  were  nearest  and 
dearest  to  his  heart,  and  I  can  most  freely  say  that 
the  more  I  knew  him  the  more  I  loved  him. 

*  This  able  and  beloved  Missionary  has  also  finished  the  work  which 
his  jNIaster  had  for  him  to  do  in  China.  He  died  at  Araoy,  of  typhus 
fever,  on  the  6th  day  of  December,  1848.  Thus  after  a  short  interval, 
these  two  friends  met,  as  we  trust,  in  the  presence  of  the  Saviour,  to 
be  separated  no  more  for  ever. 


388  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

After  Walter  left  college,  I  saw  no  more  of  him 
till  I  met  him  in  Macao,  in  October,  1844.  In  the 
providence  of  God  our  meeting  was  of  short  dura- 
tion. I  soon  left  that  place  for  Amoy.  What  I  saw 
of  him  there  gave  me  higher  notions  of  his  piety,  of 
his  sound  judgment,  and  of  his  intellectual  character, 
than  ever  I  entertained  before.  My  love  and  admi- 
ration could  not  but  be  increased.  I  heard  him 
preach  and  address  religious  meetings  only  two  or 
three  times.  He  was  very  solemn,  and  his  solem- 
nity was  contagious,  if  I  may  use  the  expression. 
It  possessed  the  rare  quality  of  radiating  from  its 
centre,  and  entering  the  hearts  of  all  around.  Hence 
his  discourses,  which  were  plain  and  practical,  always 
took  hold  of  the  feelings  as  well  as  the  intellect. 
One  never  wearied  listening  to  them,  and  one  always 
left  the  meeting  feeling  that  he  had  received  both 
instruction  and  spiritual  benefit  from  what  he  had 
heard. 

My  dear  Mr.  Lowrie,  it  is  not  my  intention  to 
write  an  eulogy  upon  Walter;  but  I  cannot  but  feel 
that  you,  and  I,  and  the  Church  of  God  have  sus- 
tained a  very  great  loss.  This  loss  more  nearly  con- 
cerns you,  and  though  I  cannot  fully  appreciate  a 
parent's  tender  feelings  and  yearnings  in  behalf  of 
his  beloved  offspring,  yet  I  can  realize  in  some  de- 
gree the  depth  of  that  grief  which  the  news  of  this 
severe  affliction  will  produce  in  your  mind.  I  most 
deeply  sympathize  with  you.  My  heart  bleeds  for 
you.  I  feel  totally  unfitted  to  administer  consola- 
tion. The  blow  is  too  heavy  to  admit  of  alleviation 
by  anything  that  I  can  say.  I  can  but  weep  with 
you  over  the  loss  sustained.  But,  though  I  cannot 
afford  relief  to  your  mind  in  this  season  of  sorrowful 
bereavement,  3^et  there  is  one  who  sjanpathizes  with 
you,  and  who  is  fully  able  to  console  you  in  this 
hour  of  heavy  affliction.  That  Jesus,  whom  Walter 
loved,  knows  the  depth  of  your  grief.  He  knew  it 
before  the  sad  event  occurred.  He  has  consolation 
for  all  the  sons  and  daughters  of  affhction.     He  is  a 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  389 

tender  comforter.  The  bruised  reed  will  he  not  break, 
the  smoking  flax  will  he  not  quench.  To  him  you  can 
go  with  all  confidence.  He  is  waiting  to  hear  your 
cries.  What  a  privilege  God's  dear  children  possess ! 
When  God  afflicts  them,  he  does  it  as  a  tender, 
loving  parent — he  does  it  for  their  good.  This 
aflUction  is  for  our  good.  I  feel  it  to  be  intended  for 
my  good.  I  had  wrong  vieAvs  in  relation  to  God's 
work  in  China;  I  almost  felt  that  it  could  not  go 
forward  without  Walter.  I  felt  that  we  must  have 
him  to  control  and  counsel  us,  to  manage  our  opera- 
tions, to  rebuke  us  when  wrong,  to  encourage  us 
when  right.  I  felt  that  we  needed  him  to  oversee 
the  press,  to  prepare  tracts,  to  assist  in  revising  the 
Scriptures.  I  knew  that  God  had  endowed  him  with 
a  noble  intellect,  had  given  him  a  sound  judgment,  had 
bestowed  upon  him  much  grace,  and  had  eminently 
fitted  him  for  a  high  station  in  this  great  harvest- 
field.  I  knew  all  this,  and  felt  that  we  could  not 
spare  him.  But  God's  thoughts  and  wa3^s  are  not 
as  ours.  He  has  taught  me  that  he  can  do  without 
us,  even  the  best  of  us.     He  has  no  need  of  our 

Eoor  assistance.  When  he  sees  fit,  he  calls  us  to 
imself.  He  has  called  Walter  thus.  We  idolized 
him.  God  has  rebuked  us.  But  he  has  taken 
Walter  to  himself.  This  is  my  consolation.  I  have 
no  doubts  on  this  point.  I  feel  as  sure  as  I  can  on 
any  subject  based  on  moral  evidence,  of  the  safety 
of  Walter.  He  is  happy  beyond  conception.  We 
mourn  his  loss  and  feel  our  spirits  depressed,  but  he 
is  beyond  the  influence  of  sorrow's  pains.  Walter 
wrote  me  not  long  ago  a  letter,  in  which  he  spoke 
freely  of  his  feelings.  He  was  mourning  over  in- 
bred corruption,  and  found  all  his  hope  in  Christ.  I 
thought  for  a  moment  of  sending  this  letter  to  you, 
but  what  need  is  there  for  this  ?  You  have  many 
letters  from  him,  the  spirit  and  sentiment  of  which 
leave  your  own  mind  free  from  all  doubt  as  to  Wal- 
ter's personal  interest  in  the  blood  of  the  precious 
Saviom\ 

33* 


390  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

1  love  to  think  of  Walter.  Many  of  the  sweetest 
spots  of  my  existence  teem  with  clehghtful  recollec- 
tions of  him.  It  may  seem  strange,  but  it  is  true, 
that  the  thought  of  being  saved  with  Walter  and 
dwelling  with  him  for  ever  in  heaven,  has  often  filled 
my  soul  with  peculiar  emotions  of  joyful  satisfaction, 
and  has  aroused  into  life  a  sweeter  affection  for  the 
blessed  Saviour,  who  was  pleased  to  give  me  a  title 
to  the  same  inheritance  Avhich  he  has  conferred  on 
him.  Walter  has  already  entered  upon  the  enjoy- 
ment of  that  inheritance,  and  is  now  employed  with 
the  patriarchs  and  prophets,  with  the  apostles  and 
martyrs,  and  with  the  general  assembly  of  the  first 
born  in  heaven,  sounding  the  high  praises  of  him  who 
loved  him  and  washed  him  in  his  own  blood,  and 
made  him  a  king  and  a  priest  unto  God  and  his 
Father.  He  was  ripe  for  the  kingdom  and  his  work 
w^as  done,  and  so  God  took  him  to  himself,  and  now 
employs  him  in  the  upper  sanctuary  in  a  higher  and 
holier  service. 

Would  that  I  could  fill  up  the  void  which  this  sad 
bereavement  will  make  in  your  parental  heart !  But 
I  have  hopes  that  God  will  sustain  you.  He  ena- 
bled you  to  give  up  Walter  with  cheerfulness  to  the 
work  of  Missions.  He  enabled  you  to  bear  up  under 
the  distress  of  a  long  separation.  Surely  he  Avill  not 
now  forsake  you  in  this  the  extremity  of  your  grief! 
I  trust  you  will  feel  that  the  cause  of  missions  still 
needs  your  aid ;  that  the  Church  has  Avork  for  you 
still  to  do;  and  especially  that  God,  by  this  dark 
and  mysterious  dispensation  of  his  providence,  is 
preparing  you  for  more  self-denying  labours  in  the 
station  which  he  has  called  you  to  occupy.  God 
may  intend  by  this  event  to  accomplish  more  for 
that  cause  which  Walter  so  dearly  loved,  than 
(speaking  humanly,)  could  have  been  accomphshed 
by  him  if  he  had  been  spared  many  years.  Of  one 
thing  we  are  sure,  God  does  nothing  w^rong.  He 
brings  good  out  of  evil;  all  his  ways  and  all  his 
dealings  with  the  children  of  men  are  right  and  holy. 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  891 

May  we  therefore  be  submissive ;  may  we  bow  and 
kiss  the  rod  and  him  that  hath  appointed  it;  may 
the  blessed  Spirit  saA^e  us  from  all  murmuring  on  ac- 
count of  his  dispensations;  may  he  give  us  meek 
and  lowly  minds;  may  he  sanctify  to  us  all  his 
heav}'  afflictions,  and  may  he  make  them  work  out 
for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of 
glory !  May  the  God  of  grace  sustain  you. 
Yours  with  all  sympathy, 

John  Lloyd. 


From  the  Rev.  Joseph  Oiven^  of  the  Allahabad  Mission, 

Allahalad,  November  19th,  1847. 

]My  Dear  JMr.  Lowrie — We  have  just  received 
from  China  the  distressing  news  of  your  beloved  son's 
death,  and  there  is  in  the  ^fission  a  deep  and  uni- 
versal feeling  of  sorrow  and  sympathy,  which  I  have 
been  requested  on  their  behalf,  to  express  to  you. 
Some  of  us  kncAV  your  dear  son  personall}^  and  are 
thus  in  some  measure  prepared  to  appreciate  the  loss 
to  you  and  all  your  family  and  friends,  caused  by 
his  death.  We  all  knew  him,  through  the  Mis- 
sionary Chronicle,  as  a  faithful  ambassador  for 
Christ,  in  perils  often,  perils  of  water,  perils  of  rob- 
bers, suftering  shipwreck,  and  spending  nights  and 
days  on  the  deep.  I  had  the  privilege  of  knowing 
him  as  a  beloved  fellow-student,  and,  since  we  Imve 
been  in  the  eastern  world,  as  a  dear  friend  and  cor- 
respondent. Four  days  ago,  on  the  15th  inst.,  I  re- 
ceived from  him  a  letter,  dated  Shanghai,  Aug.  8th, 
where  he  was  attending  a  Convention  for  the  revi- 
sion of  tiie  New  Testament  in  Chinese.  He  wished 
an  answer  by  return  mail,  to  some  inquiries  respect- 
ing the  terms  we  use  in  the  India  dialects  to  repre- 
sent the  Supreme  Being,  and  wrote  in  good  health, 
and  encouraged  with  his  prospects  of  usefulness.  On 


392  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

the  envelope  I  found  with  sad  surprise,  the  following 
lines  from  Brother  Harper,  dated  Canton,  Sept.  21st. 
^'You  will  excuse  my  opening  this  envelope  to  in- 
form you  of  the  lamented  death  of  the  beloved  wri- 
ter of  this  note.  He  was  murdered  by  pirates,  when 
returning  from  Shanghai  to  Ningpo,  Aug.  19th,  near 
Chapoo.  They  threw  him  into  the  sea,  and  he  was 
drowned.  All  our  Missions  are  in  deep  grief.  Our 
ablest  and  best  man  has  fallen."  These  sad  tidings 
were  confirmed  the  next  day  by  the  Friend  of  India, 
in  which  we  found  an  extract  from  the  China  Mail 
of  September,  which  I  have  had  copied,  and  will 
send  to  you  with  this.  You  will  no  doubt  have 
heard  directly  from  China  before  this  reaches  you, 
yet  every  scrap  of  intelligence  on  the  subject  will  be 
valued  by  you,  and  therefore  I  send  you  all  that  we 
have. 

This  is  indeed  a  mysterious  dispensation  of  Divine 
Providence.  Truly  God's  waj^s  are  not  as  our  ways, 
nor  his  thoughts  as  our  thoughts.  Dear  Walter  was 
qualified  in  no  ordinary  degree  for  the  great  work  in 
which  he  was  engaged.  His  excellent  scholarship, 
ripe  judgment,  extensive  and  matured  knowledge  of 
China,  the  deep  foundation  which  he  had  laid  in  its 
difficult  language,  and  above  all  his  unwavering  and 
ardent  love  to  the  Redeemer  and  his  Church,  pre- 
pared him  to  be  very  extensively  useful  in  that  im- 
mense field.  But  God  has  again  shown  us,  that  the 
excellency  of  the  power  in  the  great  work  of  the 
"world's  conversion,  is  to  be,  not  of  us,  but  of  Him, 
and  given  another  illustration  of  that  great  truth, 
'^  Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my  Spirit."  I 
feel  that  another  tie  to  earth  is  broken.  I  loved 
Walter  most  sincerely,  and  have  known  and  loved 
him  ever  since  he  was  nineteen  years  old.  Many  of 
our  pleasant  interviews  I  shall  never  forget,  and  I 
trust  we  shall  with  delight  converse  about  them  here- 
after. In  particular,  I  remember  the  kind  visit  he 
paid  me,  at  my  father's,  a  short  time  before  I  left 
America.     We  took  a  long  ramble  together  in  the 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  393 

fields,  enjoying  the  sweet  fresh  air  of  spring,  part  of 
the  time  on  the  winding,  beautiful  banks  of  the  Cro- 
ton,  and  conversing  of  our  future  prospects.  His 
heart  was  then  towards  Africa,  but  subsequently 
God  directed  him  to  that  glorious  field  in  which  he 
has  now  fallen.  His  usefulness,  however,  has  not 
terminated  with  his  sojourn  on  earth.  ^  His  name  is 
precious,  not  only  to  those  who  intimately  knew 
him,  but  it  must  be  to  thousands.  His  career  was 
short,  but  very  eventful.  He  was  called  not  only  to  do, 
but  to  suffer  much  for  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  he  did  it 
as  a  good  soldier,  falling  eventually  as  a  leader  in 
one  of  the  foremost  ranks.  A  breach  has  been  made 
by  his  fall,  not  easily  filled.  God  grant  that  his  ex- 
ample of  labour  and  patience,  of  zeal  and  wisdom, 
of  faith  and  love,  may  call  forth  many  dear  youth 
from  our  American  Zion,  to  count  not  their  lives 
dear  to  themselves  in  publishing  the  glorious  gospel 
to  the  land  of  Sinim.  He  has  been  removed  from  a 
lower  to  a  higher  sphere  of  service.  Though  he 
rests  from  his  labours,  yet  he  is  not  inactive.  But 
we  see  through  a  glass  darkly.  We  know  little,  and 
in  our  present  state  are  capable  of  knowing  but  little, 
of  the  glorious  service  in  which  he  has  joined  the 
redeemed  around  the  throne.  The  dark,  fearful  bil- 
lows that  closed  above  him  as  he  sank  into  the  sea 
could  not  contain  his  spirit.  In  a  few  minutes  his 
ransomed  soul  was  with  the  blessed  Redeemer,  for 
ever  beyond  the  violence  of  earth  and  of  hell.  And 
if  the  kind,  considerate  authorities  at  Ningpo  should 
not  succeed  in  recovering  his  remains,  it  will  matter 
little  after  a  wdiile ;  the  day  will  soon  come  when  the 
sea  shall  give  up  its  dead,  when  the  members  of 
Christ's  body  scattered  throughout  its  immense,  dis- 
mal caverns,  shall  all  be  recovered,  brought  and 
joined  to  their  Head,  and  for  ever  made  hke  to  his 
glorious  body.  We  may  be  sure  that  the  Omniscient 
and  Omnipotent  Saviour  will  not  allow  one  particle 
of  his  purchased  possession  to  be  lost.  We  hope 
soon  to  be  with  him  in  the  midst  of  the  glorified 


394  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

throng.  We  are  repeatedly  and  emphatically  re- 
minded that  the  fashion  of  this  world  passeth  away. 
The  tidings  that  you  conveyed  to  me  a  little  more 
than  two  nionths  ago,  were  some  of  the  most  pain- 
ful that  I  ever  received.  I  was  looking  forward 
with  very  great  happiness  to  having  my  own  dear 
brother  with  me  here.  But  the  disappointment,  with 
the  almost  certain  prospect  of  his  speedy  death,  is  a 
deep  affliction.  I  bless  God  who  has  not  allowed  a 
murmuring  thought  to  arise  in  my  heart.  He  knows 
what  is  best  for  his  Church,  infinitely  better  than 
we  do,  and  the  multitude  of  his  ransomed  ones  in 
India  and  China,  shall  surely  be  brought  home, 
though  we  and  all  others  now  on  the  field  should 
fall.  God  is  trying  his  Church  b}^  terrible  things 
in  righteousness.  He  has  taken  to  himself  some  of 
our  most  useful  fellow-missionaries  of  late.  On  the 
19th  of  Aug.  your  son;  on  the  1st  of  Sept.  the  Rev. 
J.  Macdonald  of  the  Free  Church  Mission,  Calcutta, 
a  very  holy,  useful  man;  on  the  7th  of  Sept.  Mrs. 
Hill,  who  had  been  for  twent}^  years  a  faithful  mis- 
sionary at  Berhampore;  and  not  long  ago  Mr. 
Whittlesey,  a  very  useful  missionary  of  the  Ame- 
rican Board,  died  in  Ceylon.  Other  useful  labour- 
ers are  obliged  to  leave  the  field,  as  dear  Brother 
Ptankin,  and  Mrs.  Scott.  And  others  God  is  keep- 
ing from  coming.  Ought  not  the  Church  to  think 
of  these  things?  These  are  loud  calls  to  us  here,  to 
the  Committee  at  home,  to  the  ministers  and  elders, 
to  the  sons  of  the  prophets,  to  every  individual  in 
the  Church,  to  humble  ourselves  under  the  mighty 
hand  of  God,  that  in  due  time  he  may  h'ft  us  up. 
Yours  aflectionately, 

Joseph  Owen. 


jVIEMOIR   of   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  395 

From  the  Rev.  John  M.  Lowrie. 

Wellsville,  Ohio,  January  26th,  1849, 

Dear  Uncle — I  enclose  several  letters  to  me  from 
cousin  Walter.  As  we  were  so  much  together 
while  he  was  in  the  College  and  in  the  Seminary, 
our  communications  were  chiefly  personal  and  not 
written.  I  will  therefore  give  you  some  of  his  reli- 
gious experience  and  views  during  these  periods. 

If  I  were  drawing  off  a  sketch  of  his  character  as 
a  student  at  College  and  in  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary, I  would  notice  some  such  points  as  these. 

His  first  care  was  attention  to  his  own  spiritual 
wants.  I  never  knew  a  man  more  scrupulously 
careful  to  maintain  punctual  and  deliberate  habits 
of  private  devotion.  We  were  for  a  short  time 
occupants  of  the  same  room;  and  it  was  arranged 
that  our  hours  of  exercise  should  leave  the  room 
private  to  each  of  us  in  turn.  Many  times  when  this 
arrangement  was  interrupted,  I  have  known  him 
enter  a  little  closet  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  that 
no  eye  might  see  him  while  he  sought  his  Father's 
face. 

It  was  chiefly  his  desii'e  to  secure  uninterrupted 
hours  and  seasons  unknown  to  any,  for  devotional 
duties,  which  led  him  to  secure  a  room  by  himself 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  course,  after  his  pro- 
fession of  piety.  His  seasons  of  fasting  I  sometimes 
knew,  because  we  ate  at  the  same  table;  but  at 
other  times,  I  think,  he  so  arranged  them  in  connec- 
tion with  visits  to  friends  in  the  country,  that  we 
supposed  him  not  3^et  returned  from  a  visit,  when, 
in  truth,  he  had  exchanged  his  social  intercourse  for 
a  season  of  solitary  communion  with  his  God.  And 
I  have  often  knocked  at  his  door  for  admittance, 
when  I  knew  he  was  within,  but  he  would  not  reply, 
for  he  wished  uninterrupted  his  seasons  of  devotion 
and  of  study.  It  seemed  also  remarkable  to  me 
that  he  so  well  maintained  his  devotional  habits 


396  MEMOIR   OF    WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

when  absent  from  home.  I  have  no  knowledge  of 
any  friend  whose  habit  of  meditation  upon  the  Bible 
after  reading  it  was  so  fixed.  At  the  foundation  of 
his  Christian  character^  w^as  an  ardent  love  for  his 
closet. 

Next  to  his  attention  to  private  duties,  I  would 
rank  his  affectionate  concern  for  the  piety  of  his 
fellow-professors  of  religion.  There  was  at  Jefferson 
College  a  small  religious  society,  still  in  existence, 
bearing  the  name  of  the  missionary  Brainerd.  Of 
this  he  was  an  active  member,  and  he  ever  regarded 
it  as  a  means  both  of  profit  and  influence.  But  out- 
side of  this  little  band,  he  exerted  no  ordinary  in- 
fluence upon  Christian  students.  He  was  especially 
beloved  by  those  who  were  associated  with  him  in 
the  support  of  Sabbath  Schools  and  prayer-meetings, 
for  he  was  naturally  more  with  them.  And  as  from 
the  very  first  his  was  a  missionary  spirit,  so  those 
brethren  both  at  Canonsburg  and  Princeton,  whose 
minds  turned  towards  the  great  field  whitening  to 
the  harvest,  were  his  peculiar  companions.  There 
was  one  room  at  Canonsburg  that  was  the  place  of 
many  a  conference  for  the  land  of  Sinim,  and  many 
a  prayer  that  it  might  be  opened  to  the  heralds  of 
salvation.  And  there  are  brethren  in  China  and 
India,  and  I  believe  in  heaven  too,  who  will  long 
remember  room  No.  29,  in  Princeton  Seminary, 
hallowed  as  it  has  been  by  conference,  by  tears  and 
prayers.  I  scarcely  know  one  whose  influence  upon 
the  piety  of  the  institutions,  both  at  the  College  and 
the  Seminary,  was  more  consistent  and  healthful 
than  his  was. 

His  influence  was  also  exerted  over  those  who 
made  no  profession  of  religion.  He  was  deeply 
impressed  with  the  truth,  that  to  every  3"oung  uian 
the  period  of  College  life  was  the  golden  opportu- 
nity to  secure  salvation,  or  to  strengthen  pious  hab- 
its and  a  pious  character.  He  was  well  aware, 
also,  of  the  many  insidious  and  dangerous  snares 
which  beset  those  who  arc  so  early  in  life  set  free 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  397 

from  the  restraints  and  the  wholesome  discipline  of  a 
parent's  control.  Many  a  time  has  he  expressed 
deep  anxiety  on  learning  that  some  interesting  and 
inexperienced  youth  had  taken  his  boarding  in  dan- 
gerous company 

Worthy  of  notice,  also,  are  his  zeal  and  devotion 
to  improve  opportunities  for  usefulness.  The  Sab- 
bath School  at  Miller's  Eun,  where  he  attended 
church,  and  of  wdiich  he  was  superintendent,  was 
about  six  miles  from  Canonsburg.  Under  his  con- 
trol it  was  a  thriving  and  most  interesting  school. 
Accompanied  by  a  band  of  affectionate  teachers, 
his  fellow-students,  he  w^ent  to  the  school,  sus- 
tained meetings  for  exhortation  and  pra3^er,  visited 
the  sick,  and  was  ever  welcome  to  the  firesides 
and  the  tables  of  an  attached  people.  Beyond  doubt, 
there  are  precious  souls  in  that  congregation,  who 
retain  the  sweet  savour  of  his  memory.  They  w^ill 
remember  the  crow^ded  prayer-meeting,  the  solemn 
Bible-class,  the  simple  address,  and  the  fact  that 
many  young  persons,  almost  all  from  the  Sabbath 
School,  united  with  the  Chmxh  during  his  sojourn 
with  them,  as  evidence  of  his  influence  and  useful- 
ness among  that  people.  These  labours  were  a  de- 
light to  him,  though  they  w^ere  toilsome.  Often  he 
would  walk  as  many  as  eight  miles  on  Saturday 
evening  to  hold  a  prayer-meeting,  and  return  to  the 
church  on  Sabbath  morning  to  the  school. 

There  remains  one  other  matter  Avhich  I  have  in 
lively,  and  I  may  add,  grateful  remembrance, — this 
is  his  faithfulness  in  discharging  the  important  but 
unpleasant  duty  of  admonition.  I  have  lying  before 
me  a  letter,  wdiich  cannot  be  made  public,  but  which 
is  an  excellent  instance  and  evidence  of  his  watch- 
fulness over  his  brethren,  and  of  his  kindness  and 
prudence  to  warn  and  correct.  Nor  was  he  less 
ready  to  receive  than  to  administer  reproof  .... 
Yours  affectionately, 

J.  M.  LOWRIE. 
34 


398  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

REMARKS  ON  THE  DEATH  OF  THE  REV.  WALTER  M.  LOWRIE, 

By  the  Rev.  A.  Alexander,  D.  B, 

The  mournful  tidings  of  this  disastrous  event  has 
sent  a  pang  of  grief  to  the  hearts  of  thousands  in 
our  Church  and  in  our  country.  The  loss  of  such  a 
man,  and  in  such  a  way,  is,  indeed,  a  deplorable 
thing.  Christianity  was  never  intended  to  destroy 
the  natural  feelings  of  humanity,  but  to  regulate 
and  refine  them.  In  Holy  Scripture  we  find  that 
the  pious  gave  free  indulgence  to  their  feelings  of 
sorrow,  on  account  of  the  death  of  good  and  great 
men.  When  Abner  was  treacherously  murdered  by 
Joab,king  David  '' lifted  up  his  voice  and  wept  at  the 
grave  of  Abner;  and  all  the  people  wept.  And  the 
king  lamented  over  Abner."  So,  also,  when  the  pi- 
ous king  Josiah  was  slain  in  the  flower  of  his  age, 
'^  All  Judah  and  Jerusalem  mourned  for  Josiah :  and 
Jeremiah  lamented  for  Josiah.  And  all  the  singing 
men  and  singing  women  spake  of  Josiah  in  their  la- 
mentations." We  have,  moreover,  in  the  New  Test- 
ament an  example  of  the  same  kind  in  the  primitive 
church  at  Jerusalem,  when  Stephen,  "a  man  full  of 
w^isdom  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,'  was  stoned  to  death 
by  the  Jews.  This  man  stood  conspicuous  among 
the  disciples  of  Christ  on  account  of  the  miraculous 
gifts  with  Avhich  he  was  endowed,  and  the  holy 
boldness  and  eloquence  with  which  he  defended  the 
truth,  for  ^^  being  full  of  faith  and  power,  he  did 
great  wonders  and  miracles  among  the  people.  And 
his  enemies  were  unable  to  resist  the  wisdom  and  the 
r  ~  irit  by  which  he  spake."  But  when  confounded  in 
:  /gument,  they  had  recourse  to  violence,  and  cast 
him  out  of  the  city  and  stoned  Stephen,  calling  on 
God,  and  saying,  "Lord  Jesus  receive  my  spirit." 
And  he  kneeled  down  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice, 
<'  Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge  ;"  and  when 
he  had  said  this,  he  fell  asleep.     "And  devout  men 


MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE.  399 

carried  Stephen  to  his  hirial,  and  made  great  la- 
mentation OVER  HIM." 

Here  we  find,  that  in  the  early  infancy  of  the 
Church,  good  and  useful  men  were  suffered  by  di- 
vine providence  to  be  cut  off,  when  their  services 
were  more  needed  than  they  could  be  at  any  future 
time.  God  would  teach  us  that  he  is  not  dependent 
on  any  instruments  for  the  accomplishment  of  his 
purposes.  The  death  of  Stephen,  probably,  had  a 
mighty  effect  on  the  minds  of  many  who  were  pres- 
ent; and  from  among  his  bitterest  enemies,  there 
was  one  whom  God  had  determined  to  make  "a 
chosen  vessel"  to  carry  the  Gospel  not  only  to  the 
Jews,  but  to  a  multitude  of  the  Gentile  nations. 

And  we  learn  from  this  part  of  Sacred  Scripture, 
that  God  does  not  forsake  his  devoted  servants, 
when  surrounded  by  enemies,  and  while  suffering 
the  agonies  of  death.  Stephen  saw  heaven  opened 
and  the  Son  of  Man  standing  at  the  right  hand 
of  God.  And  he  was  enabled  to  die  in  the  full  as- 
surance of  hope ;  and,  with  his  last  breath,  to  imi- 
tate his  divine  Master,  by  invoking  mercy  for  his  mur- 
derers. And  although  we  are  not  permitted  to 
know  in  what  state  of  mind  our  dear  young  brother 
met  death,  we  have  good  reason  to  conclude  that 
his  covenant  God  did  not  forsake  him  in  that  trying 
hour.  Very  likely  his  last  breath  was  spent  in 
prayers  for  the  salvation  of  his  murderers. 

That  the  death  of  Mr.  Lowrie  is  a  great  loss  to 
the  Church,  and  particularly  to  the  cause  of  mis- 
sions, none  will  doubt.  Religiously  educated  from 
his  youth,  and  in  a  family  imbued  with  the  mission- 
nxj  spirit,  he  early  turned  his  thoughts  to  the  con- 
dition of  the  bhnded,  perishing  heathen.  With 
this  object  in  view,  he  commenced  his  theological 
education.  During  his  whole  course,  it  is  believed, 
his  purpose  remained  unshaken  ;  and  all  his  plans 
and  studies  were  prosecuted  with  a  direct  view  to 
this  object.  Possessed  of  a  vigorous  and  well-bal- 
anced mind,  and  of   cheerful,  equable  temper,  his 


400  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

progress  in  learning  was  rapid,  and  what  he  acquired, 
lie  retained.  With  him  no  time  was  wasted,  for 
even  his  hours  of  relaxation  from  severe  study 
were  spent  in  some  useful  employment. 

He  was  willing  to  encounter  all  the  dangers  of 
the  deleterious  climate  of  Africa,  and  would  have 
made  that  dark  region  the  field  of  his  labours,  had 
it  not  appeared  to  all  his  friends  that  he  was  emi- 
nently qualified  for  the  China  mission,  that  great 
country  having  unexpectedly  been  opened  for  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel.  Our  young  brother  ac- 
cordingly embarked  for  that  important  field ;  but 
before  his  station  was  finally  chosen,  he  met  with 
extraordinary  difficulties  and  dangers.  In  one  of 
his  voyages  he  was  ship-wrecked  ;  the  vessel  was 
abandoned  at  sea,  and  the  crew  and  himself  were 
exposed  to  a  rough  sea,  in  an  open  boat,  for  many 
days ;  and  when  they  approached  the  slTore,  were, 
by  a  manifest  interposition  of  Providence,  enabled 
to  land,  when  at  almost  any  other  time  their  boat 
must  have  been  swamped. 

After  his  arrival  in  China,  he  devoted  himself  as- 
siduously to  the  acquisition  of  the  very  difficult 
language  of  the  country;  and  there  is  reason  to  be- 
lieve with  uncommon  success.  But  not  contented 
merely  to  acquire  the  language,  he  deemed  it  very 
important  to  make  himself  acquainted  with  the 
literature,  and  especially  with  what  may  be  termed 
the  classical  literature  of  the  Chinese.  From  com- 
munications received  in  this  country,  there  is  reason 
to  think  that  he  was  making  rapid  progress  in  this 
species  of  knowledge. 

Besides  the  acquisition  of  the  provincial  dialect 
of  Ningpo,  where  he  had  his  station,  he  had  formed 
the  purpose  of  learning  the  Manchu  Tartar  lan- 
guage, which  differs  from  that  of  China  in  that  an 
alphabetical  character  is  used ;  and  it  is  understood 
that  this  is  becoming  more  and  more  popular,  and 
from  its  superior  convenience,  will  probably  prevail. 
From  these  and  other  considerations  it  is  evident 


MEMOIR  OF  WALTER  M.   LOWRIE.  401 

that  our  Churcli  and  the  cause  of  missions  has  ex- 
perienced a  great  loss  in  the  death  of  Mr.  Lowrie. 
It  ought  to  be  mentioned,  also,  that  with  other  mis- 
sionaries, he  was,  when  called  away,  earnestly  en- 
gaged in  revising  and  correcting  the  version  of  the 
New  Testament  into  the  Chinese  tongue.  For  this 
work  he  was  eminently  qualified  by  his  learning, 
and  by  his  nice  discrimination  and  turn  for  accuracy 
in  matters  of  this  kind.  When  sent  for  to  Ningpo, 
he  had  been  for  between  two  and  three  months  at 
Shanghai,  engaged  with  Bishop  Boone,  Dr.  Bridg- 
man  and  others  in  this  work. 

It  is,  then,  neither  unreasonable  nor  unscriptural 
that  great  lamentation  should  be  made  on  account 
of  his  death.  Though  none  can  be  expected  to 
experience  the  same  kind  and  degree  of  grief  as 
his  venerable  father  and  near  kindred,  yet  many 
others  deeply  sympathize  with  them  in  their  lamen- 
tations ;  and  it  may  be  presumed  none  have  felt 
this  stroke  more  pungently  than  his  brethren  of  the 
mission.  To  them  the  bereavement  is  indeed  great 
and  lamentable.  But  this  feeling  is  not  confined  to 
the  missionaries  of  the  Presbyterian  church;  others 
will  feel  sorely  that  a  heavy  judgment  has  fallen 
upon  them.  This  is  manifest  from  the  affectionate 
and  excellent  letter  of  Bishop  Boone  to  Mr.  Low- 
rie's  father.  He  says :  "  This  event  has  thrown 
my  family,  who  had  the  privilege  to  enjoy  his 
company  for  the  last  two  months  and  a  half,  into 
the  deepest  affliction.  Dearly  as  I  know  he  was  be- 
loved by  the  mission  with  which  he  was  connected, 
yet,  I  believe,  no  one  in  China  mourns  his  loss  as 
I  do."  And  no  doubt  the  same  feeling  pervades  the 
whole  of  the  missionaries  who  have  had  any  oppor- 
tunit}^  of  acquaintance  with  our  departed  brother. 

We  may,  therefore,  lament  the  death  of  such  a 
man,  so  beloved,  and  so  well  qualified  to  be  useful 
in  the  most  important  work  wdiich  is  going  on  in 
this  world.  But  though  we  are  permitted  to  sorrow, 
yet   not   to   repine.     When  Aaron's  impious   sons 


402  MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE. 

were  struck  dead  in  the  sanctuary,  "he  held  his 
peace ;"  he  uttered  no  complaint.  And  when  Eli 
heard  the  prophet's  prediction  respecting  the  judg- 
ment about  to  be  inflicted  on  his  wicked  sons,  he 
said,  "  It  is  the  Lord,  let  him  do  what  seemeth  him 
good."  Perfect  submission  is  consistent  with  the 
most  heart-felt  sorrow.  Indeed,  the  deeper  the 
grief,  the  more  virtuous  the  submission. 

This  event,  I  think,  is  a  solemn  call  of  Provi- 
dence to  our  whole  Church.  It  is  evidently  a  token 
of  the  displeasure  of  our  heavenly  Father.  God,  by 
thus  taking  away  one  of  the  most  eminent  of  our 
missionary  corps,  evidently  calls  the  Presbyterian 
church  to  a  solemn  consideration  of  their  ways ;  to 
an  earnest  inquiry  whether,  as  a  body,  we  have  done 
our  duty ;  and  especially  in  relation  to  China.  Some 
twenty  years  ago,  the  writer  heard  a  speaker  at  a 
niissionar}^  meeting  in  Philadelphia,  say,  "  If  a  hun- 
dred missionaries  should  now  enter  China,  at  differ- 
ent points,  and  every  one  of  them  should  immedi- 
ately be  put  to  death,  this  would  be  a  cheap  sacrifice, 
if  thereby  that  populous  country  should  be  opened 
for  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel."  At  that  time,  the 
most  sanguine  did  not  dare  to  hope  for  such  an 
event  in  their  day.  But  God,  by  a  wonderful  Provi- 
dence, has  set  the  door  wide  open.  Not  merely 
one,  but  five  great  cities,  are  made  accessible,  and 
the  right  of  residence  and  Christian  worship  secured 
by  treaty.  In  consequence,  a  number  of  the  most 
promising  and  best  educated  men  offered  their  ser- 
vices, and  were  sent.  But  did  the  Church  appre- 
ciate the  importance  of  this  extraordinary  dispensa- 
tion of  Providence  ?  Did  she  arouse  herseff'  from 
her  long  sleep,  and  come  to  the  help  of  the  Lord 
against  the  mighty;  did  she  enlarge  her  spirit  of 
liberality,  and  begm  to  wrestle  with  God  in  fervent, 
incessant  prayer  for  this  empire,  which  contains  one 
third  of  the  population  of  the  globe?  She  did  not. 
Had  it  not  been  for  the  generous  donation  of  a  few 
individuals,  the  Board  Avould  not  have  been  able  to 


MEMOIK   OF  WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  403 

send  out  the  promising  men  who  offered.  And  even 
now,  there  exists  a  general  apathy.  A  few  churches 
and  a  few  individuals  seem  to  be  sensible  of  the 
solemn,  responsible  circumstances  in  which  w^e  who 
live  in  this  age  are  placed.  Professors  of  religion 
are  too  generally  occupied  with  their  own  concerns ; 
every  one  is  attending  to  his  farm  or  his  merchan- 
dise ;  few  have  any  deep  feeling  for  the  ark  of  God. 
Each  one  will  build  and  decorate  his  OAvn  house^ 
while  the  house  of  God  is  desolate. 

Let  the  churches,  then,  consider  this  awful  dis- 
pensation, as  one  in  which  they  have  a  deep  con- 
cern. Let  the  solemn  inquiry  be  made  in  all  our 
churches,  and  through  all  our  borders,  wdiether  they 
have  not  been  delinquent  in  their  duty  to  the  mis- 
sionaries in  China.  Yea,  let  every  individual  ask 
himself.  Have  I  done  my  duty?  Have  I  remem- 
bered daily,  as  I  ought,  those  devoted  men  ?  Have 
I  borne  them  feelingly  on  my  heart  to  the  throne 
of  grace  ?  Have  1  given  as  liberally  of  my  sub- 
stance to  promote  this  object  as  I  ought?  Such 
inquiries,  honestly  made,  would,  I  beheve,  bring  con- 
viction home  to  almost  every  bosom.  What,  then, 
shall  be  the  result?  Having  done  amiss,  is  it  our 
solemn  purpose,  by  the  help  of  the  Lord,  to  do  so 
no  more  ?  Let  us,  then,  take  words  and  return  unto 
the  Lord  who  hath  smitten  us.  "  Let  the  priests 
weep  between  the  porch  and  the  altar,  and  let  them 
say,  Spare  thy  people,  0  Lord." 

If  it  should  please  our  heavenly  Father  to  make 
this  distressing  bereavement  the  means  of  awak- 
ening all  our  churches  to  the  solemn  considera- 
tion of  their  duty,  as  it  relates  to  missions  in 
general,  and  to  China  in  particular,  then  wdll  this 
sore  judgment  be  turned  into  mercy.  Let  all  the 
friends  of  Zion  wrestle  with  God  until  he  grant  this 
result.  Let  them  say,  "  For  Zion's  sake  I  will  not 
hold  my  peace,  and  for  Jerusalem's  sake  I  will  not 
be  silent,  until  the  righteousness  thereof  go  forth 
as  brightness,  and  the  salvation  thereof  as  a  lamp 


404  MEMOIR   OF   WALTER   M.    LOWRIE. 

that  burneth."  Such  importunity  is  never  offensive. 
Jacob  said  to  the  Angel  of  the  Covenant,  "I  will 
not  let  thee  go  until  thou  bless  me."  And  God 
commands  us  "to  give  him  no  rest,  till  he  establish, 
and  till  he  make  Jerusalem  a  praise  in  the  earth." 
Let  every  true  Presbyterian  resolve  that,  during  the 
year,  now  commenced,  he  will  bear  on  his  heart  be- 
fore the  throne  of  grace,  the  perishing  condition  of 
the  heathen,  and  the  wants  of  our  foreign  mission- 
aries, with  far  greater  frequency  and  fervency  than 
during  the  3^ear  which  is  past.  And,  as  our  mis- 
sionaries may  be  recalled  unless  funds  are  provided 
by  the  Church  for  their  support,  let  every  man,  and 
woman,  and  child  consider  whether  God  does  not 
require  of  them  to  do  much  more  in  the  way  of  con- 
tribution than  they  have  heretofore  done;  and  see 
whether,  from  the  very  day  from  which  you  com- 
mence a  new  course,  God  will  not  bless  you  in  a 
special  manner.  "  Bring  ye  all  the  tithes  into  the 
storehouse  that  there  may  be  meat  in  mine  house, 
and  prove  me  now  herewith,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts, 
if  I  will  not  open  you  the  windows  of  heaven,  and 
pour  you  out  a  blessing,  that  there  shall  not  be  room 
enough  to  receive  it."  Mai.  iii.  10. — Missionary/ 
Chronicle:  February,  1848. 


MEMOIR  OF   WALTER   M.   LOWRIE.  405 

A  cenotaph  was  erected  to  the  memory  of  Mr. 
Lowrie,  which  bears  the  following  inscriptions^  partly 
in  English  and  partly  in  Chinese  : — 

THE 

REV.   WALTER  M.  LOWRIE, 

A   MISSIONARY 
TO 

THE     CHINESE. 


Born  Feb.  18th,  1819. 
Died  Aug.  19th,  1847. 


"I  am  a  stranger  in  the  earth." — Ps.  cxix.  19. 


SECOND  SIDE. 

IN    CHINESE. 

The  Amei'ican  teacher  of  the  religion  of  Jesus,  Low-le-wha,  Seen  Sang, 
[i.  e.  Mr.  Lowrie.]  Born  in  [the  reign  of]  Kea-King,  24th  year,  1st 
month,  26th  day.  Died  in  [the  reign  of]  Taou-Kwang,  27th  year,  7th 
month,  9th  day.  Reckoning  back  in  [the  reign  of]  Taou-Kwang,  the 
22d  year,  4th  month,  18th  day,  he  arrived  at  Macao,  China.  The  25th 
year,  3d  month,  5th  day,  he  reached  Ningpo  ;  in  order  to  propagate  the 
holy  religion.  How  can  we  know  whether  a  long  or  a  short  life  is  ap- 
pointed for  us  ?  He  had  but  attained  the  age  of  twenty-nine  years, 
when  travelling  by  sea,  he  was  drowned  by  pirates.  Of  all  his  associ- 
ates there  is  none  who  does  not  cherish  his  memory,  and  they  have  ac- 
cordingly erected  this  stone  as  a  testimony  of  theii*  aflection. 


THIRD  SIDE. 

He  was  attacked  by  pirates  near  Chapoo,  and  being  thrown  overboard, 
perished  in  the  sea. 


FOURTH  SIDE. 

IN    CHINESE. 

The  Holy  Book  says — It  is  appointed  unto  man  once  to  die,  and  after 
this  the  judgment,  for  the  hour  is  coming,  in  which  all  that  are  in  the 
graves  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  shall  come  forth,  they 
that  have  done  good  unto  the  resurrection  of  life,  and  they  that  have 
done  evil  unto  the  resui-rection  of  damnation. 

The  shaft  is  4  feet  6  inches  high  ;  2  feet  7  inches  wide  at  the  bottom, 
and  1  foot  9  inches  at  the  top.  The  stone  is  a  hard  and  smooth  kind  of 
granite,  capable  of  a  tolerable  polish. 


